Plane Flying over Manhattan Followed by Fighter Jets Scares Many
Air Force One Photo Opp Triggers Panic in Manhattan
System of Notifying the Public Broke Down, Officials Say
By MARK CRUDELE, RICHARD ESPOSITO and LISA STARK
(AP (Jason McLane/AP Photo)
Air Force One Flys in NYC for a Photo Op
In this image taken with a cell phone by Jason McLane, the primary presidential aircraft, a Boeing 747 known as Air Force One when the president is aboard, flies low over New York Harbor, followed by an F-16 chase plane during a federal government photo op Monday, April 27, 2009. A photo shoot involving a 747 used as Air Force One and two fighter jets flying at low altitude led to hundreds of frightened calls from residents and workers in Lower Manhattan this morning, triggering memories of 9-11 as many evacuated their offices. The president was not aboard.
A low-flying Boeing 747 escorted by two fighter jets as part of a federal government photo opportunity over lower Manhattan caused a brief panic among workers near ground zero on Monday.
Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.
“It scared a couple of million people,” one airport official said.
Thank you