Executives Failed to Correct Errors

An investigation conducted by the Transportation Department's acting Inspector General (IG) found that three FAA executives (one now retired) knew after the fact that testimony presented to the 9/11 Commission in 2003 was, in fact, false, but they made no effort to correct it.

Acting on complaints from the independent 9/11 Commission, acting IG Todd Zinser conducted a two-year investigation, publishing his findings in a report released Friday, 1 Sep 2006. As reported by the New York Times, Zinser noted -- in direct contradiction to 9/11 commission testimony given -- the FAA and the USAF were not in immediate communication after the first of two aircraft struck the World Trade Center. In fact, they weren't in contact for over 50 minutes.

The FAA testimony in question, given before the 9/11 commission in 2003, claimed the FAA had immediately contacted the USAF. In fact, NORAD even went so far as to claim they were in a position to shoot down Flight 93, which crashed in rural PA after passengers took steps to wrest control of the aircraft from the terrorist hijackers.

While the report urges disciplinary action for the two executives still actively serving, no evidence was found to prove any of the executives acted to knowingly mislead the 9/11 Commission. This mirrors a report made last month by the USAF IG claiming similar errors in testimony provided by military officers could be attributed to poor record-keeping.

The FAA has declined to identify the three executives or what, if any, disciplinary action is to be taken.

Commission members expressed concern the investigation had taken so long. Richard Ben Veniste, a commission member, said the IG's investigation had taken “more time than it took the 9/11 commission to complete all of its work." He also questioned the decision to release the report on the Friday before Labor Day.

The 9/11 Commission was highly critical of the government's immediate repsonse to the hijackings finding "widespread confusion" within the FAA and the military.

FMI: www.dot.gov