Pilot Reports of Worrisome ATIS Transmission Confirmed by FAA, Feds

After a tumultuous few days involving threats, real and potential, to events, transportation systems and a number of North American targets, it appears that aviation has not escaped the ire of erstwhile terrorists.

ANN has received and confirmed multiple reports late Wednesday about the content of at least one ATIS transmission reporting the potential of a MANPADS threat to aircraft in the LA (Los Angeles) area. MANPADS are otherwise known as man-portable air-defense systems and can take the form of portable, often shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles often used to target aircraft and associated airborne targets. 

According to one ANN Reader report, the KTOA ATIS reported at 2247 Zulu, via Information Quebec, "...Attention all aircraft: reported MANPADS threat, exercise extreme caution for the LA area and surrounding airports, reported by the internal security at 1200 local time...." By the time that the ATIS had updated to Romeo, the alert had either been retracted or dismissed.

Conversations with FAA and FBI sources confirm that there has been a threat of unknown (anonymous) nature that local Law Enforcement became aware of and a number of agencies were alerted. The details are pretty thin (at least in terms of what they are willing to state at this point), but the concern was apparently strong enough for the info to be carried on at least one ATIS Alert that we are aware of.

ANN is looking into the matter and will update the story as more information becomes available.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.fbi.gov