"Crewmembers' Families Have Already Suffered Tremendously"

On Friday, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) joined with the Air Line Pilots Association and families of the victimslost aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001 in asking US District Court judge Leonie Brinkema to reconsider allowing the CVR from the airliner be entered into evidence in open court, in the death penalty trial of confessed al-Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.

Per an earlier ruling by the 4th US Circuit of Appeals, any evidence released in an open session of the trial is entered into the public domain, accessible by anyone who wished hear the recording, or read a transcript of the final moments aboard Flight 93. To date, only family members of those lost when the aircraft went down near Shanksville, PA on 9/11 have heard the tape.

"We respectfully request that US District Judge Leonie Brinkema reconsider her ruling and keep the tape private. The families of the crewmembers who were murdered on September 11, 2001 have already suffered tremendously, and public release of the tape would only sensationalize and serve no legitimate purpose," said Captain Ralph Hunter, APA President.

"Playing the recording in closed session would clearly fulfill the requirement for a full and fair trial," Hunter added. "Moreover, any public release would violate privacy promises made by our government to our nation's professional pilots and set an unfortunate precedent where other cockpit voice recordings are concerned."

Founded in 1963, APA -- the collective bargaining agent for the 13,000 pilots of American Airlines -- is headquartered in Fort Worth, TX.

FMI: www.alliedpilots.org