Response is Immediate: Agency is Quick When it Wants to Be
[The FAA has come under raucous attack from many fronts,
with most reports' saying that the 9-11 Commissioners are upset
with the way the FAA hasn't responded fully to their requests. The
Committee, apparently frustrated by the FAA's response, was
resorted to subpoenas to get the records it wants. The
more-rabid press reports are stopping just short of accusing
the FAA of covering up a far-reaching Bush Administration
conspiracy, supposedly to hide 'prior knowledge' of the terrorist
attacks. While the FAA isn't known for its lightning response to
requests -- from anybody, on any subject -- the recent attacks
in the non-aviation press have been hysterical and even disgusting;
we're happy to print the FAA's statement, even as it admits it's
the agency's 'historical' policy to go
slowly --ed.]
FAA Statement in Response to 9-11 Commission
The FAA has taken the 9/11
Commission’s document requests very seriously from the
outset, recognizing the Commission’s important mission, and
has been cooperative and responsive during each step of the
investigation. In responding to the Commission’s initial
requests, the FAA followed long-established precedent for the
investigation of major airline accidents and incidents including
highjackings and immediately provided the Commission with
responsive files relating to the events of September 11.
We now recognize that these procedures, though historically
adequate in the context of most aviation accidents, were not
satisfactory to the Commission and its staff. No documents were
ever knowingly withheld from the Commission.
The Commission only recently advised the FAA as to its concerns
about the scope of the document production. Immediately upon
learning of these concerns, the FAA reviewed its document response
and began the process of supplementing the materials provided to
the Commission. The agency has also pledged, again, its full
cooperation with the Commission. As recently as yesterday
[Tuesday], the Administrator directed each member of the FAA
management team to ensure that the agency’s response to the
Commission’s requests be given the highest
priority.
As a result of the FAA’s ongoing efforts, which were
coordinated with Commission staff, the Commission has now been
provided with approximately 40 boxes of documents containing
150,000 pages of information that is responsive to the
Commission’s requests. Approximately 80 interviews have been
conducted at five of our busiest ATC facilities to date with more
being scheduled. The FAA
has reproduced nearly 300 air traffic control tapes involving over
230 hours of recorded conversations. The FAA has also volunteered
top air traffic experts to help the Commission sift
through voluminous documentation, including complex radar data, in
the search for germane information.
Given the agency’s voluntary cooperation with the
Commission, we are surprised by the Commission’s decision to
formally subpoena the agency’s records, a step we regard as
unnecessary. The agency will respond fully to the subpoena as it
continues to work with the Commission. The FAA has also requested a
meeting with the Commission to hear what concerns it may have.