One of the big stories this last week was the poor communication and botched decision making on September 11, which was illustrated by audiotape of decisionmakers not making decisions. Of course, no one expected hijacked planes to fly into buildings, they keep saying. (Of course, we long ago learned that there was intelligence that Al Qaeda wanted to do just that. I suppose that what the government really wanted was the specific flight numbers and seat assignments. Anyway.)
They said over and over last week that those problems had been solved, and it wouldn’t happen again.
Until June 9, of course, when they had to evacuate the Capitol because of an incoming aircraft. Well, they’ve done a review, and guess what?
Authorities evacuated the U.S. Capitol on June 9 because of a communication failure between Federal Aviation Administration flight controllers and Washington air defense officials tracking a plane carrying Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) to Ronald Reagan’s funeral, a government review has concluded.
Officials from the Defense and Homeland Security departments ordered two F-15 fighter jets and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to intercept Fletcher’s aircraft at 4:25 p.m. without knowing that FAA controllers had been in radio contact with the plane for at least 40 minutes and had determined it was not hostile, according to interviews and a preliminary report by the Transportation Security Administration that was obtained by The Washington Post.
You know what wacky, sarcastic phrase leaps to mind?
Can you hear me now?
