NYC financial workers see low-flying planes, panic

[Pandabear]

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/US_Low_flying_Plane.html

NYC financial workers see low-flying planes, panic
By ULA ILNYTZKY
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK — A Boeing 747 used by the president was escorted over lower Manhattan by two Air Force fighter jets Monday as part of a government photo opportunity, causing a brief panic among office workers near ground zero.

Workers from several office buildings poured out onto the streets before they learned that the flights were innocuous.


John Leitner, a floor trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange Building, said about 1,000 people "went into a total panic" and ran out of the building around 10 a.m. after seeing the planes whiz by their building, near the World Trade Center site.

"Apparently, nobody in the building was informed that this was going to happen," he said. "Everyone panicked, as you can certainly understand."

He said the workers gathered along the Hudson River esplanade until a security officer with a bullhorn told them it was a planned exercise.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the government was conducting a photo op involving two Air Force F-16 jets and the larger airplane, a Defense Department version of the 747 that is called Air Force One when the president is aboard. It said it notified city law enforcement about the mission.

The NYPD said the flight "was authorized by the FAA for the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty, with directives to local authorities not to disclose information about it, but to direct all inquiries to the FAA."

Among the workers who left their buildings were some at The Wall Street Journal.

Kathleen Seagriff, a staff assistant in the news rooms, said workers heard the roar of the planes and then saw them from their windows.

"They went down the Hudson, turned around and came back by the building," she said. "It was a scary scene, especially for those of us who were there on 9/11."

Some staffers, who thought they made out an American flag on one of the planes, stayed behind. But she said most didn't want to take the chance.

http://i43.tinypic.com/2qunmah.jpg

In this image taken with a cell phone by Jason McLane, the primary presidential aircraft, a Boeing 747 known as Air Force One when the president is aboard, flies low over New York Harbor, followed by an F-16 chase plane during a federal government photo op Monday, April 27, 2009. A low-flying Boeing 747 escorted by two fighter jets as part of a federal government photo opportunity over lower Manhattan caused a brief panic among workers near ground zero on Monday.



:0doh::doh::groan:

[LiveLaughLuv]

I live very close to NYC and heard these jets overhead. I immediately thought a training exercise. People still have the images of 911 and panicked almost immediately. I feel we are safe and terrorists can never try that again with a plane. It will happen again, I'm afraid but I feel it's either on sea or in our subway tunnels.

Now I hear Mayor Bloomberg's distain for what happened. He said had he been told about this (yet Police Commissioner was told) he would not have allowed it..Why. It was a photo shoot of the Presidents second plane with our fighter jets on it's tail. No harm, no foul. What should have happened but didn't was to inform people who live/work in NYC as not to cause a panick but this was allegedly a top secret training exercise.

If anything it got peoples attention which shows we are still on high alert...:6u8ky2o:

[Pandabear]

Exactly LLL! A simple press release would have done the trick and stopped all the panic. I can't imagine a good reason why that wasn't done.

[Trailblazer]

Exactly LLL! A simple press release would have done the trick and stopped all the panic. I can't imagine a good reason why that wasn't done.

ITA...Can't even begin to imagine the fear those folks in NYC had, when they saw that huge plane flying so low...

[Alibar]

Where oh where does responsibility lie for such a stupid action? Who could have thought it was the thing to do? Where did the orders come from? Oh, Oh... another apology is being prepared... Please excuse this idiotic plan... we were clueless it would cause panic.

[annalyzer]

ITA...Can't even begin to imagine the fear those folks in NYC had, when they saw that huge plane flying so low...

I can't either Trail. I was thinking about 911 last night and the people that jumped from the buildings.

[Mrs Robinson]

ITA...Can't even begin to imagine the fear those folks in NYC had, when they saw that huge plane flying so low...I sure hope when the next crisis comes Obama's teleprompter is working or all people will hear is stuttering from BO.

[Pauli]

The Politics board is closed.. please do not bring any politics anywhere else on this board.... it causes nothing but problems and bad feelings.

I'm tired of dealing with upset people over politics...

[Pandabear]

I'm very sorry that I started this thread. It wasn't meant to be a political thread, just one that showed how communication can avert problems.

Was there an announcement that the politics board was closed? Guess I missed it somewhere in the shuffle.

Thanks!

[LiveLaughLuv]

President Barack Obama called an Airfoce One flyover on New York City 'a mistake' on Tuesday, a day after the low-flying plane caused some New York City residents to panic.


Handschuh/News

The new Airforce One over the Statue of Liberty on Monday. 'It won't happen again,' Obama said.




Monday's military photo-op involving a low-flying airliner over New York City was:


Just a misunderstanding. I'm relieved to find out it wasn't a terrorist attack.



A huge mistake. The military should have cleared it with NYC officials first.

Mayor: Military photo-op was plane stupid
President Barack Obama admitted Tuesday it was "a mistake" to send a Boeing 747 and an F-16 fighter jet buzzing over lower Manhattan.

Speaking before a meeting at FBI headquarters in Washington, Obama said he was as in the dark as everyone else about the photo op fly-by, but made no secret of his disapproval.

"It was a mistake, as was stated," Obama said. "And it will not happen again."

Obama did not specifically apologize, although the White House military director did on Monday.

The president declined to answer a reporter's question on whether Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, was the right person for the job.

Caldera, 53, is a West Point graduate and a lawyer. He was secretary of the Army during the Clinton administration and previously was a California state lawmaker.

Hundreds of office workers were gripped by panic Monday, as they watched a jumbo jet circle the financial district for half an hour, followed closely by a fighter jet.

Buildings were evacuated, people fled for cover and others stared at the sky in disbelief, fearing a repeat of 9/11.

Mayor Bloomberg said he was also unaware the fly-by was taking place - which later turned out to be an "aerial photo mission" authorized by Caldera.

Caldera hastily apologized Monday and a City Hall deputy, Marc Mugnos, who had been given advance notice, was reprimanded for failing to inform the mayor.

Sources said the reason for the stunt was to create souvenir pictures of a customized Boeing 747, which serves as Air Force One when the president is aboard.

Photos of the plane flying over the Statue of Liberty were to be given out to family, friends or supporters.

Obama was not on the flight. NYPD officials were alerted but told not to make it public.

The NYPD informed 911 operators at 7 a.m. so they could tell callers it was an authorized military mission, deputy commissioner Paul Browne said.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer has written to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking that the public be given at least 48 hours notice of any future low-altitude flights.

Another Air Force One photo op scheduled for May in the DC area has been cancelled.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/04/28/2009-04-28_president_obama_calls_air_force_one_flyover_mis take_day_after_lowflying_plane_te.html

[Pauli]

I'm very sorry that I started this thread. It wasn't meant to be a political thread, just one that showed how communication can avert problems.

Was there an announcement that the politics board was closed? Guess I missed it somewhere in the shuffle.

Thanks!

The article you posted was fine Panda, no problem. I'm just tired of all the mail I get when a president, past or present, is bashed. I don't have the time or energy to deal with it any longer. I did not want a Politics or Religion Forum here to begin with, they always create bad feelings and arguments, but I was talked into adding them. Some just can not be rational when they discuss either of those subjects. It comes from all sides, not just one. So the best thing is to follow my original instincts and not have them.

[LiveLaughLuv]

I'm very sorry that I started this thread. It wasn't meant to be a political thread, just one that showed how communication can avert problems.

Was there an announcement that the politics board was closed? Guess I missed it somewhere in the shuffle.

Thanks!

The Politics board is closed.. please do not bring any politics anywhere else on this board.... it causes nothing but problems and bad feelings.
I'm tired of dealing with upset people over politics...

The article you posted was fine Panda, no problem. I'm just tired of all the mail I get when a president, past or present, is bashed. I don't have the time or energy to deal with it any longer. I did not want a Politics or Religion Forum here to begin with, they always create bad feelings and arguments, but I was talked into adding them. Some just can not be rational when they discuss either of those subjects. It comes from all sides, not just one. So the best thing is to follow my original instincts and not have them.

I didn't notice that either. I ususally stay away from politics and religion forums for they do cause animosity.

This is non-communication issue that caused a panic in NYC...America's Issues...:shrug1:

[Pauli]

Did I say it wasn't... I was just stopping something before it got started.. my bad. I did not direct my statement towards any person or any post.. it was a general statement.

[Mrs Robinson]

I'm very sorry that I started this thread. It wasn't meant to be a political thread, just one that showed how communication can avert problems.

Was there an announcement that the politics board was closed? Guess I missed it somewhere in the shuffle.

Thanks!Besides the lack of communication, it was certainly a waste of $386,000.