{"id":1374,"date":"2009-12-01T10:01:45","date_gmt":"2009-12-01T14:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/?p=1374"},"modified":"2009-12-02T09:40:07","modified_gmt":"2009-12-02T13:40:07","slug":"9-11-ua-93-an-air-traffic-control-trilogy-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/?p=1374","title":{"rendered":"9-11: UA 93; an air traffic control trilogy, part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Addendum, December 1, 2009.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is a Google Earth plot of the final radar returns from UA 93 as received at The Plains radar site and provided by 84th RADES.<\/p>\n

\"UA93<\/a>
UA93 Final Radar Returns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The blue pins depict primary returns.\u00a0 The green pin depicts the first recording of the transponder back on.\u00a0 Green represents a reinforced return, radar and beacon (transponder).\u00a0 The red pin depicts the second and final transponder return, beacon only.<\/p>\n

This is the air traffic control story of UA 93, told in the primary source voices of the day, and we begin with part 2, the Herndon Command Center story.\u00a0 The next two articles will tell the same story from the Cleveland Center (ZOB) perspective,\u00a0 Part 1, \u00a0 Then, in Part 3, we will the FAA’s Washington Operations Center story, as told to them by air traffic control.\u00a0 There will be at least one additional article to tell the story after it leaves the domain of air traffic control.<\/p>\n

First notice to Herndon<\/strong><\/p>\n

The story begins at 09:49 when Margaret at the Herndon Severe Weather position convenes a conference with Washington Center, ZDC, at the request of Cleveland and Chicago.\u00a0 The purpose is to address the issue of the Attorney General’s return to Washington.\u00a0 Cleveland breaks in to tell Chicago about Delta 1989.\u00a0 That conversation is at this link. ZDC ZOB Herndon Chicago Teleconference<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The conversation immediately continues and by 9:50 Cleveland Center has also put Washington Center on alert but about a different airplance, UA 93.\u00a0 That continued conversation is at this link.\u00a0 ZOB alerts ZDC about UA 93<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

After a short pause ZOB estimates a UA 93 arrival in 25 minutes to Dulles (approximately 9:16).\u00a0 Concurrently, ZOB updates both Chicago and ZDC as to the status of both D 1989 and UA 93.\u00a0 That continuation is at this link.\u00a0 ZOB updates D 1989 and UA 93<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Some researchers have speculated that FAA was treating one of the two aircraft but not the other as a hijack; that the two were somehow confused by air traffic control.\u00a0 It is clear from the primary source information that the two situations were distinct and clearly separated by Cleveland Center in its reporting to adjacent centers and to Herndon.\u00a0 There was no confusion within the system as to which was which.\u00a0\u00a0 The status of D 1989 was never conflated with UA 93 by FAA.<\/p>\n

Conversation continues at 09:53<\/strong><\/p>\n

The situation continues as ZOB updates all participants on the status of both airplanes.\u00a0 Margaret informs ZOB that Herndon knew about UA 93 but not about D 1989 and she will pass the word.\u00a0 That update can be heard at this link.\u00a0 ZOB Undates Participants at 0953<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

D 1989 apparently resolved<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a conversation at 9:56 Herndon determines that D 1989 is not a ‘trip,’ that he is fine and that he is going to Cleveland.\u00a0 In this conversation we learn that the concern about D 1989 originated with Boston Center, ZBW.\u00a0 That conversation can be heard at this link.\u00a0 ZOB D 1989 Going to Clevelend<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Real time updates on UA 93<\/strong><\/p>\n

By 9:58 ZOB enters a new flight plan for UA 93 to assist ZDC.\u00a0 ZDC acknowledges and sees the airplane at their TMU desk.\u00a0 ZOB is trying as best it can to associate tracking information with the data blocks.\u00a0 They did not have an altitude.<\/p>\n

The implication is that ZDC can see the plane on radar as long as it is flying and can track the flight plan on a TSD display.\u00a0 The exchange of information between the TMU at ZOB and the TMUat ZDC can be heard at this link.\u00a0 ZOB UA 93 new flight plan and alert to ZDC<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 I should note here that when I observed the TSD playback of 9-11 at Herndon Center the icon for UA 93 visably jumped on the screen to its new location as determined by ZOB.<\/p>\n

Shortly thereafter, in the 9:59 time frame,\u00a0 ZOB did obtain altitude information on UA 93 from a VFR aircraft.\u00a0 That information can be heard at this link.\u00a0 ZOB reports altitude on UA 93<\/a><\/strong> Whenever Ricky Bell at Severe Weather keeps the microphone open you can hear voices in the background.\u00a0 We will cover that in Part 3 when we talk about Herndon continuously updating FAA Headquarters.<\/p>\n

Next, ZOB provides altitude and heading information in real time to Herndon.\u00a0 You can, again, hear voices in the background and you hear Ricky Bell repeating information as he hears it so that others at Herndon are aware.\u00a0 This minute long conversation segment\u00a0 begins approximately 10:00 and can be heard at this link.\u00a0 ZOB provides location and heading for UA 93<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

From 10:01 to 10:02 the real time updates report erratic flying.\u00a0 That near one minute conversation segment can be heard at this link.\u00a0 ZOB reports erratic flying<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

UA 93 transponder back on<\/strong><\/p>\n

The UA 93 transponder did come back on, briefly for two sweeps just\u00a0 before 10:03.\u00a0 84th RADES radar lost coverage on the plane soon after 9:47, but reacquired the aircraft near the end of its flight.\u00a0 Radar data from The Plains radar shows the transponder back on for just two radar returns.\u00a0 Based on those two returns the aircraft dropped at a significant rate.\u00a0 It was in extremis.\u00a0 The last recorded RADES radar return is at 10:02:57 at 6100 feet altitude.\u00a0 Location was 40 040 04N 78 55 02W.<\/p>\n

ZOB describes the transponder event to Herndon as heard on this link.\u00a0 ZOB Reports Transponder Back On<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 The ZOB report is time consistent and altitude consistent with RADES radar.\u00a0 ZOB reports an altitude of 8200 feet when the transponder came back on.\u00a0 The RADES radar files show an altitude of 7800 feet at that time.<\/p>\n

Here is a circa Summer 93 graphic I prepared concerning UA 93.\u00a0 My complete set of UA 93 powerpoint slides has been uploaded to the History Commons Scribd site; I can’t find the<\/span> link for now<\/span>, and is available at this link<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"UA<\/a>
UA 93 Final Radar Returns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

UA 93 lost by ZOB<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just before 10:03 ZOB reports losing UA 93 on radar except for one primary return.\u00a0 ZOB defers to ZDC as can be heard at this link.\u00a0 ZOB losing UA 93 on radar<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A few moments later Herndon reconnects with ZOB to ask about both UA 93 and D 1989.\u00a0 Herndon learns that ZOB has lost UA 93; it was last headed toward Washington.\u00a0 Herndon also learns at the same time that D 1989 is not a hijack.\u00a0 That exchange can be heard at this link.\u00a0 ZOB advises UA 93 lost D1989 not a hijack<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

And, to finish off part 2 of this trilogy, at 10:10 ZOB and Herndon have a concluding converstion that reaffirms that ZOB has lost UA 93 on radar and that D 1989 is not a hijack.\u00a0 This conversation segment provides additional insight in how Herndon was operating and what it knew.\u00a0 ZOB Herndon Discusses Both Planes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Observations in real time<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, at no time at the desk level, do air traffic control personnel speak to or even mention contacting the military.\u00a0 That is to be expected, their job was to track and report.<\/p>\n

Second, at no time did Herndon or ZOB conflate information concerning UA 93 and D 1989.\u00a0 Both planes were monitored distinctly and separately and reported that way.\u00a0 FAA up to the Herndon level had situation awareness in real time.\u00a0 Researchers who argue differently are simply wrong.<\/p>\n

Third, separately, ZOB is learning of the fate of UA 93 and we will discuss that in Part 1 of this trilogy.\u00a0 For now, the embedded graphic provides useful data points.\u00a0 Gofer 06 soon after turning north at ZOB direction reported shortly after 10:04 that the pilot saw smoke in the direction of UA 93.\u00a0 The private jet, N20VF? on the graphic, was vectored by ZOB to the crash site.\u00a0 The Falcon circled once and provided GPS coordinates around 10:14.<\/p>\n

Finally, at the national level. Norman Mineta is arriving at the PEOC during the final moments of UA 93.\u00a0 Subsequently he will receive information from Monte Belger about that aircraft, most likely as seen on a TSD display.\u00a0 That track, terminating at Reagan National at 10:28 is a ghost and has been since shortly after 10:03.<\/p>\n

That begs a question.\u00a0 Given that Herndon had near real time information and was immediately passing that information to FAA Headquarters, how was that being passed, if at all, to the national level?\u00a0 We will grapple with that in Part 3.\u00a0 For now I would simply point out that the SVTS link was activated at 9:25 and Richard Clarke convened the conference soon after 9:40.\u00a0 He wrote in Against All Enemies, “<\/em>Okay, I began.\u00a0 Let’s start with the facts.\u00a0 FAA, FAA, go.”\u00a0 Jane Garvey was at the FAA end.<\/p>\n

What do we make of that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am separately publishing articles on the linear processes the government attempted to use that day.\u00a0 So far I have spoken to NOIWON.\u00a0 Once I get an Air Threat Conference article out I will then turn to SVTS.\u00a0 Suffice it to say for now that, as I’ve elsewhere attributed to an NMCC staff officer, the SVTS process was counter-productive.<\/p>\n

So, I will speak to SVTS, probably before I write Part 3 of this air traffic control trilogy concerning UA 93.<\/p>\n

At some point, of course, we will ultimately need to address the Mineta story.<\/p>\n


\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Addendum, December 1, 2009. Here is a Google Earth plot of the final radar returns from UA 93 as received at The Plains radar site and provided by 84th RADES. The blue pins depict primary returns.\u00a0 The green pin depicts the first recording of the transponder back on.\u00a0 Green represents a reinforced return, radar and … Continue reading 9-11: UA 93; an air traffic control trilogy, part 2<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-united-airlines-flight-93"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1374"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1442,"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1374\/revisions\/1442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oredigger61.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}