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CNN Live At Daybreak

Tampa Cessna Suicide Pilot Sympathized With Islamic Terrorism

Aired January 07, 2002 - 05:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Cave you heard about this? Investigators in Tampa, you know, they've been looking for clues in a teenager's crash of a Cessna plane into a high rise building.

Well, as CNN's Mark Potter reports, the boy mentioned Osama bin Laden in a note found at the crash site.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Law enforcement officials say the 15-year-old who flew this plane into the Bank of America building in downtown Tampa and killed himself was a troubled young man who seemed to know what he was doing. And in a stunning announcement, they revealed he was carrying a handwritten note in which he said he worked alone, but sympathized with Islamic terrorism.

CHIEF BENNIE HOLDER, TAMPA, FLORIDA POLICE: He did, however, make statements expressing his sympathy toward Osama bin Laden and the event which occurred on September the 11, 2001. More importantly, at this time there is no information to support Bishop's connection with any terror organization.

POTTER: Police say they doubt Charles Bishop engaged in any terrorism, but instead committed a dramatic suicide. He was described as a loner.

The events began Saturday afternoon when Bishop reportedly arrived with his grandmother at this aviation school in nearly Clearwater for a scheduled flight lesson. Officials say an instructor told the boy to do a pre-flight inspection of a Cessna 172, like this one. Instead, he started the plane and took off by himself, without permission.

(on camera): According to the company owner, the 15-year-old maneuvered the plane from this flight line to this point here, to this line, where he was supposed to stop and ask the tower for permission to proceed. He never stopped. According the company owner, he then crossed this taxiway, headed over to Runway 35 Right and then took off, headed north. Shortly thereafter, he banked toward the southeast, headed directly for MacDill Air Force Base.

(voice-over): A base spokesman says the plane flew across the southern tip of the air base for about a minute, only 100 feet above the runway. Officials in Clearwater reportedly notified MacDill, which alerted a Coast Guard helicopter. The Cessna, meanwhile, headed north toward Tampa. The helicopter crew spotted the plane and signaled the boy to land. But the plane headed on and slammed into the 28th floor of the building after an estimated nine to 12 minute flight.

GARY KONEFAL, EYEWITNESS: And somebody yells, "It hit the building," a couple of seconds later. And we looked out and saw, you know, the debris falling from the building and the plane sticking out.

POTTER: The incident has raised questions about security at MacDill Air Force Base, the home of the U.S. Central Command, which is directing the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan.

LT. COL. RICH MCCLAIN, U.S. AIR FORCE: At that time we did not feel he was a threat. MacDill did nothing to, so to speak, to stop that airplane, except try to contact him.

POTTER: But two F-15 fighter jets were dispatched from Homestead Air Reserve Base south of Miami. They arrived too late. MacDill has no such aircraft. Experts say light planes usually do minimal damage, but are hard to intercept.

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET)., CNN MILITARY ANALYST: If they're bent on crashing into something, such as took place down in Tampa, there's not airplanes airborne, except in a couple of places over America, that are going to do anything about it.

POTTER: Investigators are now looking at Bishop's computer for further clues in this strange case of a teenager who said he believed in Osama bin Laden.

Mark Potter, CNN, Tampa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We'll have more on that coming your way at six o'clock this morning.

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