Government's Terror Plane Forces Evacuations All Over Financial District, Jersey City

[KoKo]

Airplane Flies Around Manhattan, Scares Everyone
By Pareene, 11:16 AM on Mon Apr 27 2009





Oh hey, a 747 just circled around lower Manhattan today, and then some fighter jets showed up. That isn't the sort of thing anyone should've been warned about!

The FAA, man. First they don't want to tell us about how JFK is the Bird Strike Capital of the World, and now they are having a little exercise in scaring the shit out of New Yorkers.

They claim that the Air Force wanted an Air Force One lookalike to fly around New York for a photo op. And they were like "ok, sure, do it." But they didn't really warn anyone. So this happened:

"People came pouring out of the buildings, the American Express Building, all the buildings in the Financial District by the water," said Edward Acker, a photographer who was at the building, 3 World Financial Center. "And even the construction guys over by 100 North End Avenue area, they all got out of their buildings. Nobody knew about it. Finally some guy showed up with a little megaphone to tell everyone it was a test, but the people were not happy. The people who were here 9/11 were not happy."

No, they were not.

(The Times also notes that the FAA's TERROR-PLANE might've made the markets dip, but we would like to blame that on the SWINE FLU. But don't worry! April Apocalyptic Paranoia brings May Post-Apocalyptic Giddiness.)

http://gawker.com/5229556/airplane-flies-around-manhattan-scares-everyone


MORE INFO:----------------------------------------

Government's Terror Plane Forces Evacuations All Over Financial District, Jersey City
John Carney|Apr. 27, 2009, 11:12 AM|comment2
Print
Tags: Economy, Wall Street, New York, Terrorism

hudsonplanewithfighterjets.jpgThe plane that circled the Hudson River near lower Manhattan was an Air Force One on a "photo op" for the government. The FAA says that officials in New York were notified.

But apparently the notification did not extend to Manhattan and Jersey City office buildings, many of which were evacuated this morning. Panicked office workers in the financial district and Jersey City were forced down stairs in a scene that recalled that terrible day in September 2001. One office worker reported having to rush down 40 flights on stairs in lower Manhattan.

There's been no explanation so far about why the government made this ill-considered move. Many new Yorkers still have sharp memories of September 11th. Low flying planes can cause a tinge of fear for many of us.

Was your building evacuated? Did you see the plane? Leave a comment below.

http://www.businessinsider.com/governments-terror-plane-forces-evacuations-all-over-financial-district-jersey-city-2009-4

[LakeSamish706]

1. I don't understand this either... Why would they not pre-warn the citizens of N/Y? n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

3. They apparently notified the city of NY, but no one saw fit to notify the

people who live/work there. I can understand people being upset.

Statue of Liberty flyby startles New Yorkers

<snip>

"There's three aircraft that are an approved military photo op above New York City," said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Authority.

"It's the back-up aircraft for Air Force One," he said. The Department of Transport "coordinated the flight with FAA and we made the notifications to the city so they were aware that the flight would take place between 10 and 10:30 this morning."

After the incident, New York City released an advisory that the flyover was "part of an approved federal activity."

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53Q3S820090427

[LakeSamish706]

5. "After the incident" That really helps allot doesn't it? Jeez.... n/t

[Stephanie]

23. Planes fly up and down the Hudson all day long

Commercial planes, private jets, helicopters. I'm wondering why this flight caused a commotion. I guess it was lower than usual.

[Beetwasher]

29. It Was VERY Low And CIRCLED SEVERAL TIMES

My wife saw the whole thing.

Very fucking odd.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

43. Looking at that picture, I'd flip out if I saw that

9-11 was horrible, and I'd think that was another 9-11 about to happen.

[Dorian Gray]

51. Not that low they don't...

and not followed by two military jet escorts.

I saw it in person, and I was freaked out by it.

[Dorian Gray]

50. Cause the people in charge

of this "mission" are idiots. That's all I've got.

[aquart]

2. FOR A FUCKING PHOTO OP????

I would have had a heart attack if I'd seen that plane.

Whoever authorized this needs to spend some time measuring the ice melt in Antarctica.

[KoKo]

6. FAA Says NY Officials in NY notified..but Manhattan and Jersey City Buildings evcuated

Government's Terror Plane Forces Evacuations All Over Financial District, Jersey City
John Carney|Apr. 27, 2009, 11:12 AM|comment2
Print
Tags: Economy, Wall Street, New York, Terrorism

hudsonplanewithfighterjets.jpgThe plane that circled the Hudson River near lower Manhattan was an Air Force One on a "photo op" for the government. The FAA says that officials in New York were notified.

But apparently the notification did not extend to Manhattan and Jersey City office buildings, many of which were evacuated this morning. Panicked office workers in the financial district and Jersey City were forced down stairs in a scene that recalled that terrible day in September 2001. One office worker reported having to rush down 40 flights on stairs in lower Manhattan.

There's been no explanation so far about why the government made this ill-considered move. Many new Yorkers still have sharp memories of September 11th. Low flying planes can cause a tinge of fear for many of us.

Was your building evacuated? Did you see the plane? Leave a comment below.
http://www.businessinsider.com/governments-terror-plane-forces-evacuations-all-over-financial-district-jersey-city-2009-4

[aquart]

12. The "notification" was CLASSIFIED.

It's the lead story on CBS noon news here.

I simply want to strangle the idiot who thought this was a good idea.

[Marrah_G]

4. Are they out of their fucking minds?????

Obama needs to smack the hell out of whoever thought THAT was a good idea.

[LakeSamish706]

7. Sounds like it was the city of N/Y officials that were at fault here... n/t

[rvablue]

10. I agree. If the FAA notified them of this, they should've sent out a press release

so that the morning news could've announced it.

Not well thought out. I have friends and family who lived in NYC during 9/11 and know the sight of this would have sent them into a panic.

[aquart]

13. But it was classified info.

Jersey City only found out minutes before the flight.

I want a public apology from everyone who approved this.

[KoKo]

20. "The Governments Rotten Explanation for Terrorizing NYC" / UPDATE

The Government's Rotten Explanation For Terrorizing NYC
Joe Weisenthal|Apr. 27, 2009, 12:32 PM|comment17
Print
Tags: New York, Terrorism

The FAA says the jumbo jet flying low over Manhattan this morning was "photo op" -- something having to do with the branch of the military that takes care of Air Force One.

However if you read the account from the WSJ -- which got the official statements -- you'll see that none of it makes any sense.

Sections like this are particularly unhelpful:

In a written statement Monday, the Air Force confirmed that an "aerial photo mission" had been carried out Monday in the area of New York City by the Presidential Airlift Group, which is described on the White House Web site as being part of the White House Military Office and responsible for maintaining and operating Air Force One. The Air Force statement described the mission has having been carried out in coordination with the FAA. The FAA referred additional questions about the matter to the U.S. Air Force.

"This mission, involving the VC-25 and an F-16, was conducted in conjunction with normally scheduled continuation training for assigned aircrew members," the Air Force statement said. "This mission was coordinated for the Upper New York Bay, south of the Holland Tunnel and in the Newark Bay north of the Staten Island Expressway between the hours of 1000L and 1030L.

"

We're not 100% sure, but the English translation is: "Oh crap, we really screwed up, so we're going say a bunch of words without saying anything."

Here's more ass-covering from the NYT:

Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said “the photo op was approved and coordinated with everyone.” Notification was made in advance to the mayor’s office, “including its 911 and 311 operation centers,” the New York City Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the United States Park Police and other agencies, he said.

Later on Monday morning, the Police Department acknowledged that it had been notified about the event but said it had been barred from alerting the public. “The flight of a VC-25 aircraft and F-16 fighters this morning was authorized by the F.A.A. for the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty with directives to local authorities not to disclose information about it but to direct any inquiries to the F.A.A. Air Traffic Security Coordinator,” the Police Department said in a statement.

What!? So everyone in the government knew that a jumbo jet would be weaving in between skyscrapers this morning, but they were barred from alerting the public? Um, why? Were they afraid office workers were going to open their window and shoot spitballs at the plane?

Did they really think that the uninformed public would simply look up, see a plane and not evacuate their offices in a panic?

The bottom line here is that there was either a) a massive communication failure or b) a massive error in judgment. The most charitable interpretation of the government's obfuscation is that they're covering for someone's professional error.

Unless there's a really good explanation, that person probably deserves to be fired. Now, we just need to figure out who it is.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-governments-rotten-explanation-for-terrorizing-nyc-2009-4

[Captain Hilts]

24. "The branch of the military that takes care of Air Force One..." Could it be the Air Force? nt

[Beetwasher]

27. GAHHH! The Explanations Are CLASSIC CIRCLE JERK

"The Air Force statement described the mission has having been carried out in coordination with the FAA. The FAA referred additional questions about the matter to the U.S. Air Force."

--SNIP--

“...with directives to local authorities not to disclose information about it but to direct any inquiries to the F.A.A. Air Traffic Security Coordinator,” the Police Department said in a statement."

GAHHHH!!!! WTF????

[tekisui]

44. Mayor Bloomberg claims he didn't know.

And the NYPD and FAA were instructed to keep it under wraps.

[KoKo]

45. So...NYPD has folks who are terrified, some being evacuated from buildings

and they aren't supposed to tell anyone? Bloomberg isn't informed. Is this what NYC Security has become? The whole thing is just weird.

[FourScore]

8. What idiots. n/t

[annabanana]

9. Oh Brother what a boneheaded stunt...

Could only have been conceived by someone who wasn't here....

[Dreamer Tatum]

11. I wonder what the carbon footprint of shit like that is

relative to, oh, I don't know...Photoshopping, or CGI?

[adiabatic]

14. The AF is who to blame. FAA doesn't really have any authority to deny such a flight

...

[girl gone mad]

15. What were they thinking?

My friends in Manhattan are really upset about this.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

16. Air Force One buzzed the Goldman Sachs tower 3 times.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/air-force-one-backup-rattles-new-york-nerve/

The workers, who were on the 32nd floor of the construction site, said the plane circled three times past the Goldman Sachs tower, the tallest building in New Jersey. On the second pass, they said, the jet appeared to be only a few dozen feet from the building — close enough to clip the side of the skyscraper. A fighter followed right behind, mirroring its moves.
snip.

things that make you go huummmm..

[KoKo]

32. Thanks for the link... Good Read...but,.the whole thing just get's stranger....

I hope someone is held accountable for this. Certainly seems NY Police and the Mayor should have made a public announcement.

[Beetwasher]

17. SCARED THE SHIT Out Of My Wife And Her Co-Workers!! (Thread This Morning!)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5543020

[KoKo]

18. CBS Local has more on frightened officers workers...Also report Bloomberg knew...

This is so bizarre that Dept. of Defense would do a fly over like this. It's too close to Cheney warning of another attack and the torture memo's being released not to make some of us suspicious about this. I hope someone is held accountable. The eyewitness stories of office workers are at the link, bottom of article.

-------

http://cbs5.com/national/military.jets.nyc.2.995438.html

NYC Rattled By Low-Flying Jets
F-16s Seen Escorting A 747 Near Statue Of Liberty Affiliated With Department of Defense Photo Op
CBS News Interactive: Sept. 11 And Since
NEW YORK (CBS)

Some military aircraft flying over lower Manhattan caused a brief scare for residents, workers, and pedestrians on Monday. CBS station WCBS-TV in New York has learned the jets were part of a Department of Defense photo shoot and that there is no threat to the city.

According to many callers who flooded WCBS-TV with their concerns, at about 10:00 a.m. the aircraft were seen flying at low altitudes over the Statue of Liberty and parts of lower Manhattan. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that two F-16s escorting a Boeing 747 that bore a resemblance to Air Force One were part of the Department of Defense photo shoot.

Many residents and workers who saw the aircraft evacuated their buildings as a result, but officials say there is no reason for a panic.

Ellen in Bayonne, N.J. described what she saw to WCBS-TV: "I saw the jet flying very very low over the Hudson river, it looked like it was going to fly through our office window. Then it banked sharply toward New Jersey. But our building was evacuated because it did this 3 times. A photo shoot should have been communicated to the building in the area. We haven't forgotten 9/11, people were in a panic, lots of rumors, not a good situation."

Most witnesses who called and wrote to WCBS-TV were furious that local authorities hadn't notified anyone about the fly-over. The FAA, however, says they contacted the NYPD, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office, New Jersey state police and other local authorities were told ahead of time about the shoot.

Air Force officials say this was a photo mission for their crew. They were shooting from the Statue of Liberty to south of the Holland tunnel, as well as from the Newark Bay to north of the Staten Island Expressway.

Officials say the shoot was part of a normal training mission. They added that they do these mission quite often.

http://cbs5.com/national/military.jets.nyc.2.995438.html

[Beetwasher]

19. Very Odd, My Wife Says It Was A "KOREA AIR" Plane

How could that have resembled AF1???

[KoKo]

22. One of the earlier reports says plane "unmarked"...so who knows..

The whole thing is very strange and someone should be held accountable for it. Sounds like some huge screw up...or Cheney is at it again.

[Beetwasher]

34. Just Spoke To My Wife Again, Says She's Not Too Sure Now

So, never mind!

[Robb]

40. FWIW, the blue on AF1 and Korean Air are similar

[dixiegrrrrl]

48. Yeah, but that Pepsi sign on the Korea Air plane is pretty hard to miss.

Or is that an Obama sign?

[Sequoia]

30. Everyone in that district should just go home in protest.

[Stephanie]

21. I'm in WFC 1 right now and we didn't know a thing about it until an announcement on the PA

Security announced, nothing to be alarmed about, just an AF flight exercise. We hadn't noticed it at all on this floor. And looking out the window we didn't see anything. So the evacuations were not that widespread AFAIK.

[KoKo]

26. Odd...reports are that Goldman Sachs and some other firms were evacuated...

I've updated latest articles here on the thread. (CBS article has eyewitness stories at link) Whole thing is so weird. Does your office view the water? Apparently folks in Jersey City and Staten Island were also in a panic because they could see the plane being accompanied by Fighter Jets.

[Stephanie]

28. The window I was at has a limited view of the water

I looked out after the announcement but not for long. If the jet was still flying by then I missed it. I'm on a low floor.

[barbtries]

25. obviously they should have put the word out

that is fucking outrageous. after what NYC went through in 2001, i for one would not blame anyone who was petrified at the sight.

[blueworld]

31. They needed a freakin' photo-op????

Has anyone in the FAA ever heard of Adobe Photoshop, or any of the other cool 21st century virtual photo technology? Jeebers Crispus. I hope they don't do a documentary on anthrax in our mail.

[bottomtheweaver]

33. I'm sure it was all just a TERRA!!!bly silly mix-up.

Why, these little things happen all the time. Let's not get all :tinfoilhat: over nothing.

[bottomtheweaver]

35. p.s.

this is sarcasm

[Better Believe It]

36. White House Press Secretary Gibbs: "I have no information on this"

He first said he had seen news reports on it but had "no information on this".

Sure he doesn't!

[KoKo]

38. I hope that means that someone is checking on this to find out who is

responsible for this huge screw up. If it was just a photo op, Gibbs would have had an explanation ready. Certainly the President's Press Sec. would have info on why AF-2 is flying over Manhattan escorted by Fighter Pilots for a "photo op," in time for the Presser...unless it's more complicated than the initial reports. Would ya' think? :eyes:

[Political Heretic]

37. Noice.

heh... wow.

[Marr]

39. This makes no sense. Digital photo editing would be the way to get this photo.

There's no need to fly the actual planes around. This doesn't make sense to me.

[janx]

41. "Terror plane" ??

I've read the articles about this, but why is it called a terror plane?

[KoKo]

42. It was the title from the first article I saw about it this a.m.

Over at "Clusterstock" where I was reading financial news when it broke. Agree, it's not the best title they could have chosen.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

47. Probably because it made people think of terrorism

[KamaAina]

46. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

:wtf:

[northofdenali]

49. And finally, a word from our sponsors:

At 4:39 p.m. Monday, the White House issued an apology for the flyover. Louis E. Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, who served in the Clinton administration as secretary of the Army, said in a statement:

"Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/air-force-one-backup-rattles-new-york-nerve/

[B2G]

52. So.

'federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey', but they forgot to notfiy Obama?

Who ordered the photos be taken? This is unacceptable.

[TorchTheWitch]

57. it says who right in the post you're replying to

At 4:39 p.m. Monday, the White House issued an apology for the flyover. Louis E. Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, who served in the Clinton administration as secretary of the Army, said in a statement:

"Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

It was Caldera that approved the filming mission... that's what the mission was for - to film the planes. Obama doesn't need to be notified. These sort of missions go on all the time. The obvious problem here is who/what caused the breakdown in notification (NYPD knew but the Mayor of NYC didn't), and more importantly, who's idea was it when notifying the state and local authorities (that actually WERE notified} to NOT LET THE PUBLIC OR MEDIA KNOW ABOUT IT??? Approving the mission for NYC was not very bright, but the greater blunder was lot allowing the public or the media to know about it... WHO'S fault was that???

How much did Caldera know about the particulars of the mission? Was he made aware that it would be kept secret from the media and public? Was he made aware how low the planes would be flying and how close they would get to the buildings? If he wasn't made aware of the particulars, why didn't he ask? Why did he approve the mission without making sure that the media and public needed to be made aware?

Lots of questions need answering here, and Caldera's weak apology and taking responsibilty aren't nearly enough.

[progressoid]

53. Wonder how Letterman will deal with this one??

[KoKo]

54. Evening/Night Crowd might have MISSED this Hullabaloo!

so.. a :kick:

[Kablooie]

55. Many of Bush's super stupid morans are still lingering inside our government.

[bottomtheweaver]

56. KoKo you have a very finely tuned BS detector.

This is definitely high-octane BS.

[anonymous171]

58. lol. nt