Tonight:
8°c
White House apology after their jets spark 9/11 panic
Ed Harris28.04.09
The White House was forced to apologise today after a government exercise in which a passenger jet flew low across Manhattan caused panic in the city.
Office workers fled their buildings and gathered along the Hudson River as two fighter jets escorted the Boeing 747 over Lower Manhattan as part of a federal government photo opportunity yesterday. The stunt was performed in the same part of town where two hijacked passenger jets crashed into the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.
John Leitner, a trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange building, said about 1,000 people "went into a total panic" and began running outside when they saw the planes. They could not be persuaded to return until a security officer told them it was a planned exercise, he said.
Mr Leitner added: "Apparently, nobody in the building was informed that this was going to happen."
The planes flew low near ground zero because the White House Military Office wanted to update its file photo of the president's plane near the Statue of Liberty, according to an official. The Military Office told the Federal Aviation Administration that it periodically updates file photos of Air Force One near landmarks such as the statute in New York harbour and the Grand Canyon.
White House military office director Louis Caldera said federal officials notified local and state authorities in New York and New Jersey, but he also apologised for the confusion and disruption.
Reader views (7)
Doh!
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Haven't the White House heard of Photoshop? They could superimpose a plane onto any picture, which would save both money and public panic.
- Keith, King's Cross, London
Alan: here's a handy tip for avoiding low-flying planes. don't live under the Heathrow flight corridor.
- Sn, lONDON
Alan, have you ever flown into NY? It's terrifying. You come in so low over the city it's just absurd. I swear you can see people in their homes it makes Heathrow look first world!
- Ian, london
The point being that the plane flew into the same area as the jets did on 9/11, not that the people are just scared of aircraft flying low overhead.
- Kellirc, Texas, US
All I can say to these poor people is that they should try living under the Heathrow flight corridor.One very low aircraft every couple of minutes!!
- Alan Reece, Romney Marsh UK
How come I knew about this in the UK but a large amount of people in the US didnt?
- Not Exactly A Looney Lefty!, The real world
