Posted on 09/18/2005 8:41:33 AM PDT by frankjr
***scroll down for an important update***
A number of us in the blogosphere have been catching wind of rumors that a surface-to-air missile was fired at an America West flight originating out of New York. Here's a post at Little Green Footballs, where many commenters are wisely skeptical but wanting more info.
I just got off the phone with Phil Gee, associate manager of media relations at America West, who promptly returned my late evening call. Here's what he told me:
On Sept. 15 (Thursday), America West Flight 17 took off from JFK Airport at 6:05pm EDT [Update: The actual time of departure was 6:49 pm. -MM]. The captain "took the initiative," says Gee, and reported an "irregularity" to air traffic control as the plane was ascending. The plane continued to Phoenix and landed safely at 8:55pm MST. FBI and other authorities met and interviewed all of the crew and passengers on the plane. The investigation is continuing.
Gee would not say whether the pilot or other crew or passengers reported witnessing a missile firing.
"Nothing is confirmed," Gee said.
***
Although one tipster says America West has informed its pilots of the incident, Gee denied that any company bulletin has been issued. Gee mentioned that he had heard that other airline pilots had posted about the incident on an online forum. E-mail or trackback if you have seen other pilot accounts.
***
Update: A government aviation official who asked me not to reveal her name says the "missile siting was [a] false alarm:"
The sighting was reported near Colt's Neck, NJ, which is a major route south out of NY. FAA set up a small temporary flight restriction around the area while checking radar files. Turned out to be nothing more than birds, and [a] big game of "telephone."
***
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1486688/posts?q=1&&page=51#57
Nothing to see here. Move along. It was just a flock of birdies.
Yep -- an experienced pilot has NEVER seen a flock of birds in the air so he reports ..... ???
I don't expect any confirmation by any govt official - since by the laws of the MASTERS - "if you can't prove it, it didn't happen!"
"Yep -- an experienced pilot has NEVER seen a flock of birds in the air so he reports ..... ???"
Maybe he (or she) was drunk.
I thought it was slackjawed yokuls.. (as in Cleetus)
"This is why I object to the posting of rumors. All it does is start a panic which will later be rehashed as "proof of the conspiracy to keep the truth from all of us" by a bunch of slackjawed morons."
Funny. I missed the panic. Where was it? Anyone trampled?
They've metastasized and spread across the land. They're everywhere now.
"Yep -- an experienced pilot has NEVER seen a flock of birds in the air so he reports ..... ???"
When the Dow is threatened, it's a flock of birds. Got it? The economy has to keep humming along. Terror reports like that could disrupt employment. Or so the theory goes. /sarcasm
I have no idea if this is true or not. But I remember other strange reports in years past. An immediate knee-jerk govt flunky gets the word out, "Can't be terrorist", before there's even a chance to seriously look at the matter, and then one lie after another is sent out like trial balloons.
"Funny. I missed the panic. Where was it?"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1486607/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1486621/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1486688/posts
"Probably a lucky shot with a bottle rocket."
Hm... I see the fear in his eyes right now. Yep. Everyone was fooled.
Pilots have seen millions of birds.
I think most of them moved the conspiracy talk to another forum long ago!.I do agree posting a rumor is not a good thing.
So they say it's birds and you just automatically accept that answer? Well, I guess you accept the theory that Islam is a religion of peace because that came straight from the top too. I'm not saying there is anything to this story, but to just accept their explanation?
I know this probably goes against the conspiracy theorist in some of us, but can ANYONE say definitively if there were F-15s flying around the site afterward?
If not, then they probably didn't find any evidence of any kind of missile. If they did, the military would have been there in an instant.
I'm not surprised to see which side you're on.
Well that sounds logical. The main point I'm bringing up here is that there's too much panic over alleged panic. It's plain silly. If people want to put on their "PI" hats and get out their Sherlock Holmes books, let'em. We are, after all, supposed to be vigilant citizens. And some people waste a lot of energy trying to put a damper on that vigilance.
FRegards....
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