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Air Traffic Controllers Talking About 9/11
Aired August 12, 2002 - 14:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Some of those directly involved in keeping the nation safe on September 11 are coming forward nearly one year later. Air traffic controllers today talked about what went on behind the scenes on that surreal day.
CNN's Miles O'Brien joins us with some of that now, live.
Hi -- Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
This is a group of heroes we really haven't heard from until this moment. I asked them why it took them so long to talk. They said others had their opportunity to tell their stories; now it's their time to tell theirs.
And the story that they portray really shows the first response in the war on terrorism.
We here on Long Island, Westbury, New York, at Radar Center, which covers about 100 miles around New York City. And it was these controllers who were trying to figure out what was going on on that morning of September 11. They realized when the transponder, that device which enhances an airplane's radar signal went off, on American Airline Flight 11, that there was apparently some kind of hijacking. But they could never have foreseen. They said there was no way to understand or project that this airplane really was, in fact, a guided missile.
They told us how they went through the scenario. The called NORAD to scramble fighter jets. But they presumed that this plane would land somewhere and that the hijackers would make demands. It turns out that that American Airlines Flight 11 with that transponder off, it was difficult for them to track it. They actually called other pilots, asked them to look for that aircraft as it flew south toward New York. And they lost track of it and didn't realize what happened until they turned on CNN and saw the north tower of the World Trade Center smoldering. Apparently, they realized American Airline Flight 11 had crashed into it.
And that is what presented to flight controllers here an excruciating 11 minutes, when they realized the United Airlines flight that they were tracking was headed in the same direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MCCORMICK, FAA AIR TRAFFIC MANAGER: Probably one of the most difficult moments of my life was the 11 minutes from the point I watched that aircraft, when we first lost communications until the point that aircraft hit the World Trade Center. For those 11 minutes, I knew, we knew, what was going to happen, and that was difficult.
It was difficult for the men and women in New York Center. But one thing that did not surprise me, through the entire morning and several days after that, the one thing that was not a surprise to me, was how the men and women in New York Center handled that situation. Consummate professionals. Remaining calm and in control.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: They stayed on their posts until afternoon Eastern time ensuring that every aircraft in the air got down to the ground safely. For many of these controllers, they knew they had friends and loved one who were in harm's way.
Listen to one controller who spoke to us this morning from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA SCHUESSLER, FAA MANAGER: It was very bustling, louder than normal. But I think we were all looking at each other in disbelief. Is this actually occurring in the national airspace system? It was unheard of before.
But again, we had jobs to do. We were tackling our jobs. We were gathering information and making decisions.
On a personal note, I had a husband out of Dulles had a 9:30 flight. It did not even enter my mind until about 3:30 that afternoon. So again, I was focused in on the operation, as well as most of the people here at the command center.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: On top of all that, there are the stories of the control tower operators at Newark and Washington National Airport. In case of Newark, they actually saw United Airlines 175 fly to south, then turn up head right toward the south tower of the World Trade Center -- witness that entire thing. At National Airport, they saw American Airlines Flight 77 fly right towards their tower, do a 360 degree turn. And then they witnessed it go right into the Pentagon. All of these people stayed on their post, did their job, got the rest of air traffic control on the ground. Truly, Carol, we're getting a sense of all of they accomplished that day. It's too bad it's taken us 11 months to hear it.
LIN: Yes, but what an amazing story for them to tell.
Thank you very much, Miles O'Brien, up in New York.
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