Transcription
(gentle music) - [Narrator] At exactly 8:32 AM on a sunny morning in 2001, President Bush leaves his room at the Colony Beach Resort in Florida and gets into his Presidential limousine, heading to a local elementary school. The reason for this visit is that he's promoting a new education program. On the scale of priority, this is the kind of event that would be forgotten by history.
However, just minutes before Bush arrives at the school, a breaking news message makes the rounds, one that will forever change the course of history. At 8:46 AM, Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. And the news of this event spreads in a, until then, historically unprecedented manner. Just one minute and 28 seconds after the impact, a camera crew from WNYW goes on air.
- [Reporter] Jim, just a few moments ago, something believed to be a plane, crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
- [Narrator] At 8:49 AM, CNN pauses their programming to cover the crash, followed by CNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News and international television stations. In less than 10 minutes, the eyes of the whole world were focused on New York City. However, nothing is known about the causes at this point in time, and speculation about a possible accident is circulating in Sarasota, where Bush is preparing to head into the school. Right along Bush's side, is White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, who throughout the day is taking handwritten notes that reveal how everything unfolded from the President's perspective, with White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove informing the President about the impact just before he heads into the school for the event. As the nation listens to TV anchors speculating potential reasons for the crash, the President listens to school children reading stories. There's still the possibility that it could all be just a tragic accident. But a few minutes later, this possibility can be ruled out.
At 9:03 AM, United Flight 175 heads for the South Tower. Exactly two minutes elapsed as the news circulated among reporters and White House staff, with the President being one of the few people unaware of what's going on until eventually, the White House Chief of Staff leans into Bush's ear and says, "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."
A few miles away, at this time, a US government modified Boeing 747 with the usual call sign, Air Force One, prepares to take the President back on a short journey to Washington DC. What no one can predict at this point is that the President will be on that plane for much longer today. After the school event was cut short, senior White House staff gathers in an adjoining classroom for a briefing, following the news on TV, much like the rest of the country, and an initial statement was prepared.
- Today we've had a national tragedy.
- [Narrator] Simultaneously, the Air Force is clearing the way for a seamless flight of the Presidential plane.
- [Air Base Staff] I need you guys to keep a good eye on Air Force One today and make sure that it gets priority. They're gonna probably be taking off early here to come back to Washington D.C. So is there any way that you can help us out on that?
- [Command Center Staff] Yeah.
- [Air Base Staff] They're out of Sarasota and they'll be coming back probably in the next hour, I believe.
- [Narrator] But whether Bush should really return to the capital in this situation is unclear, as the attacks on the nation continue. While the President is in his limousine heading to the airport, he's informed of yet another strike.
- [News Anchor] This is coming at 9:43 Eastern time. We're looking at a live picture from Washington and there is smoke pouring out of the Pentagon.
- [Narrator] About 10 minutes after the strike against the Pentagon, Air Force One is about to take off from Sarasota. The Secret Service had received reports that a person with an unclear device was near one end of the runway, and the fear was that it might be a weapon. Even though later, it turned out to be nothing but a camera. As a precaution, the pilot decided to turn the plane around and take off from the other side so as not to be in the line of sight of a possible shooter. Unlike usual, the plane also climbs at an extremely steep angle, a safety maneuver that can protect against ground attacks.
As Air Force One continues to gain altitude heading towards the capital city, one other plane over US airspace is still under the control of the hijackers. Flight 93, initially heading to San Francisco, had changed course. Now, also approaching Washington DC. As it later turns out, the passengers of this flight had heard of the attacks on New York and initiated a revolt against the hijackers, with passengers attempting to gain control. At 10:03 AM, Flight 93 crashes in a field in Pennsylvania. Although the revolt was unsuccessful in saving the passengers, it did save lives by preventing the hijackers from reaching their destination.
Meanwhile, aboard Air Force One, heated debates are raging about where the President should be flying at this time. Bush himself had given the order to return to Washington. But in the midst of an ongoing threat, the Secret Service was not about to risk it. Bush was barred, or at least strongly discouraged from returning to DC. Instead, Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was chosen. Here, Air Force One can then refuel, and a longer plan can be devised for where the President can most effectively carry out his duties. As the plane heads for Louisiana, growing concerns are also raised about the possibility of Air Force One itself becoming a target. While the plane is equipped with flares and smoke screens to detect radar and heat-guided missiles, it has no way to protect itself against an airliner collision.
- [Herndon Center Staff] Air Force One is filing a random route, by the way.
- [FAA Staff] Okay.
- [Herndon Center Staff] We don't know where they decided to go, but they still don't have a fighter escort.
- [FAA Staff] They still do not?
- [Herndon Center Staff] That's correct.
- [FAA Staff] Holy cow.
- [Narrator] Adding to this concern is the fact that some airplane were not immediately responding to ATC calls, which led to the wrong belief that there might be an additional free aircraft still missing. Every plane in the sky was seen as a possible threat now, therefore Air Force One started climbing to an extremely high flight level, above the usual cruising altitude for commercial flights heading up to 45,000 feet, so they can outrun anybody. While lateral movement is more difficult to track, Air Force One had this altitude for itself. And then, towards the end of their flight to Louisiana, Air Force One was joined by two fighter jets that had taken off from Joint Reserve Base Ellington to escort the President for the final few minutes.
Throughout the flight, Air Force One's normally stable telephone lines were suddenly unreliable, making communications with the White House, where Vice President Cheney was sheltered in a secret bunker, very difficult. Communication networks across the country were at their limit that day. And Air Force One wasn't an exception. And it was during this flight when a controversial military order was made, one that until today, is a controversial topic of discussion.
In the bunker below the White House, there were ongoing fears that another hijacked plane was flying towards Washington DC. It later turned out that this was Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania 10 minutes earlier. However, the information about the crash had not yet reached the White House. And between 10:12 and 10:18 AM, Vice President Cheney was asked whether this plane should be shot down if it continued to head towards the capital. According to witnesses, as well as Cheney's own biography, he replied without hesitation and gave the go ahead for the shooting down of a commercial plane that poses danger. The problem with such an order, however, is that Cheney, as Vice President, is not part of the military chain of command. According to this hierarchy, such an order comes from the President, with the only other person in question being the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, who is second in line to the President. Rumsfeld could not be reached, because he was at the Pentagon, which was itself the target of an attack, and he was busy helping with rescue work on-site. Standing in the same secure room as Dick Cheney when he made that order, was White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten. After Cheney made the order, he immediately asked Cheney to call the President to confirm this command. Cheney does exactly so, and rings Air Force One at 10:18 AM to speak with the President. According to the investigation report, this phone call lasts two minutes, which lines up with the notes that Ari Fleischer took at 10:20 AM. These notes show the words, "authorized shot down if necessary."
The question, however, remains. Did Vice President Cheney initially give a command that he wasn't entitled to give? He himself denied it, and stated that he had already confirmed this order in a previous conversation with Bush. And in fact, Fleischer's notes do show that Bush and Cheney spoke on the phone beforehand, visible in the above entry at 9:45 AM. However, there is no sign of a conversation about a possible shootdown. Whether the two spoke about this or not can not be answered conclusively.
Upon landing at Barksdale Air Force Base, a more detailed briefing took place, and the President once again addressed the nation.
- Freedom itself was attacked this morning.
- [Narrator] As Bush delivers his speech, his security team and national advisors have come up with a new destination. The President is determined to head to the White House, saying, "I want to go back home, ASAP. And I don't want whoever this is, holding me outside Washington." But the Secret Service disagrees, with Eddie Marinzel, the President's lead Secret Service agent, saying, "Our people are saying it's too unsteady still." Therefore, at 1:48 PM, Air Force One takes off from Barksdale Base, heading not for Washington, but for the Offut Air Force Base in Nebraska. The reason they decided to go here is that this base has the US STRATCOM bunker, an immensely protected underground compound with advanced communication capabilities.
On this journey to Nebraska, Air Force One was flying almost entirely alone in American airspace. Already at 9:45 AM, one hour after the first strike, a complete closure of all US airspace was ordered, after which aircraft had to land at the nearest possible airport. At around 12:15, this closure was completed, with all commercial and general aviation grounded. After landing at Offut Air Force Base, the President and his team gathered in the US STRATCOM bunker. It is located 40 feet underground and is thickly built to provide protection from any possible attacks. In addition to an extensive communication center, there are also several other rooms with offices and even bedrooms, so that this station could function as an overnight base, if necessary.
At 4:36 PM, the act of attacks on the nation seemed to have come to an end, and the security situation allows the President to take his third flight of the day. Air Force One departs, bound for Joint Base Andrews. But even this flight was carried out under immense security concerns as the Secret Service not only worries about security in the airspace, but also considers possible threats on board. One not frequently reported on concern was that just a few hours earlier, a call had come in at the White House switchboard with a message that resulted in the worst of fears. The message on the call was "Angel is next." Angel is the internal code word for Air Force One, and what is especially concerning is the fact that this code word was not publicly known, leading Secret Service agents to suspect an insider might be plotting an attack on the plane. In face of this ominous message, the Secret Service decided to permanently station agents in the aisle of the Presidential area. Additionally, another agent was placed near the cockpit door, ready to defend it from any intruders. In the later investigation into the events of September 11, it'll appear that a number of misunderstandings had led to this warning, and that these exact words were not uttered on the phone. It was one of many false alarms that day that severely raised tensions aboard Air Force One.
At 6:44 PM, Air Force One lands at Andrews Air Force Base. From here, the President flies on Marine One to the White House, where he will address the nation from the Oval Office that same evening. A simple journey that was supposed to take just two and a half hours, turned into a tense relay race between Sarasota, Florida and the White House in DC. All in all, it took more than nine hours, a time period in which thousands of lives were lost in an attack that will shape the next decades.
As for Air Force One, this was arguably the most serious test of its safety capabilities that ever occurred. Many of the protocols were shown to work and the pilots made decisions to ensure maximum safety. At the same time, the day also revealed weaknesses with a large delay until the flight could be escorted, as well as confusion due to false reports, and an unreliable communication network. All things that were improved on in the following years.
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