NBC News Attempt To Discredit GA

This story HAS been verified and addressed by Phil Boyer of AOPA.
Check their webpage for Phil's comment and challenge. Also, you
should email your feelings of disgust to

Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 2:41 PM
Subject: PASS THE WORD: NBC is actively trying to discredit GA


To: AAAE Transportation Security Services Committee
AAAE Non Hub/General Aviation Committee
AAAE Regulatory Membership

From: Rebecca Morrison – Staff Vice President,
Transportation Security Policy Department, AAAE

Attempted Security Breach at GA Facility

Date: August 11, 2004

The following is a description of an incident that occurred today at
the St. Louis Downtown Airport, a large GA facility. We are sharing
this story with you as there are indications that it might be repeated
throughout the country. We would like to thank Bob McDaniel, the
Director at the St. Louis Downtown Airport, for sharing the details of
the incident outlined below.

Earlier today two Middle Eastern men attempted to penetrate our
security. They telephoned one of my helicopter FBOs and asked about a
charter flight. After discussion of price and directions to the
business, they arrived an hour later. When the office agent asked how
they were going to pay for the flight they produced cash. When asked
for ID, they produced driver’s licenses from two different states and
they were driving a car licensed in a third state.

Things didn’t smell right so the mechanic took them into the hangar to
see the aircraft while the office person called the FBI and local
police. The helicopter they were going to fly was blocked in by other
aircraft so the mechanic was able to stall them by having to slowly
shuffle the blocking planes. Meanwhile the two men got their
backpacks and odd-shaped luggage out of their car. Soon the local
police arrived and they were hauled off to jail in handcuffs.

After a little time behind bars, the FBI verified that the two men
were employed by NBC New York and were on assignment to get a story of
how easy it is to charter a helicopter for a terrorist attack. The
men had stayed in a local hotel and purchased box cutters, leather-man
knives, and other potential weapons at the local Wal-Mart using a
credit card. The box cutters had been hidden in the lining at the
bottom of the back packs and the other weapons were hidden throughout
their baggage. They had audiotaped the telephone conversation with
Arlene and were going to use it as part of a national news story about
how easy it is to get information and directions to the location of
the helicopter and then hijack it to commit a terrorist attack.

I doubt they will be back at our airport soon and this is a story that
will never be seen since they were caught. A very “well-done” to my
FBO and staff and the local FBI and police response forces. We have
since learned that we were the first airport where this had been
attempted and NBC planned to attempt similar penetration stories
around the country. Please help me spread the word to other airports.

Actually, it did make the NBC evening news. The (grudgingly)
admitted that the system appeared to work properly and the
two men never even got close to taking off.
Of course the didn't bother to point out that GA helicopters
are so weight limited that there is almost no way they could
do any substantial damage....

Mike

Al Marzo wrote:
This story HAS been verified and addressed by Phil Boyer of AOPA.
Check their webpage for Phil's comment and challenge. Also, you
should email your feelings of disgust to

Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 2:41 PM
Subject: PASS THE WORD: NBC is actively trying to discredit GA


To: AAAE Transportation Security Services Committee
AAAE Non Hub/General Aviation Committee
AAAE Regulatory Membership

From: Rebecca Morrison – Staff Vice President,
Transportation Security Policy Department, AAAE

Attempted Security Breach at GA Facility

Date: August 11, 2004

The following is a description of an incident that occurred today at
the St. Louis Downtown Airport, a large GA facility. We are sharing
this story with you as there are indications that it might be repeated
throughout the country. We would like to thank Bob McDaniel, the
Director at the St. Louis Downtown Airport, for sharing the details of
the incident outlined below.

Earlier today two Middle Eastern men attempted to penetrate our
security. They telephoned one of my helicopter FBOs and asked about a
charter flight. After discussion of price and directions to the
business, they arrived an hour later. When the office agent asked how
they were going to pay for the flight they produced cash. When asked
for ID, they produced driver’s licenses from two different states and
they were driving a car licensed in a third state.

Things didn’t smell right so the mechanic took them into the hangar to
see the aircraft while the office person called the FBI and local
police. The helicopter they were going to fly was blocked in by other
aircraft so the mechanic was able to stall them by having to slowly
shuffle the blocking planes. Meanwhile the two men got their
backpacks and odd-shaped luggage out of their car. Soon the local
police arrived and they were hauled off to jail in handcuffs.

After a little time behind bars, the FBI verified that the two men
were employed by NBC New York and were on assignment to get a story of
how easy it is to charter a helicopter for a terrorist attack. The
men had stayed in a local hotel and purchased box cutters, leather-man
knives, and other potential weapons at the local Wal-Mart using a
credit card. The box cutters had been hidden in the lining at the
bottom of the back packs and the other weapons were hidden throughout
their baggage. They had audiotaped the telephone conversation with
Arlene and were going to use it as part of a national news story about
how easy it is to get information and directions to the location of
the helicopter and then hijack it to commit a terrorist attack.

I doubt they will be back at our airport soon and this is a story that
will never be seen since they were caught. A very “well-done” to my
FBO and staff and the local FBI and police response forces. We have
since learned that we were the first airport where this had been
attempted and NBC planned to attempt similar penetration stories
around the country. Please help me spread the word to other airports.

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 21:52:02 -0400, Mike H
wrote:

Actually, it did make the NBC evening news. The (grudgingly)
admitted that the system appeared to work properly and the
two men never even got close to taking off.
Of course the didn't bother to point out that GA helicopters
are so weight limited that there is almost no way they could
do any substantial damage....

Mike

I'm wondering if that story made it on due to AOPA's challenge and all
the people who emailed them. They'll surely try again and when they
succeed, it'll be a full 15 minute story instructing potential
evil-doers just how to complete the job easily and efficiently.

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 07:39:53 -0500, Al Marzo wrote:

I'm wondering if that story made it on due to AOPA's challenge and all
the people who emailed them. They'll surely try again and when they

No, it aired before AOPA was aware of it I believe. I'm not sure why they
aired it myself, but in any event I'm trying to convince powers that be
that they need to be made an example of and prosecuted.

I used an example of crying wolf, you do it often enough and people will
stop paying attention, then the real bad guys come by and you ignore them
because you're so used to news reporters faking it.

I also mentioned that this was akin to crying fire in a theatre and would
have similar consequences if it turned out as they had hoped to stage it.
Their intent is what counts and because they dressed and acted the part of
a terrorist they deserve to be arrested and tried as a terrorist.

But in an election year, do you think anybody will actually pursue this, I
mean try to take them to court and I bet the news media will suddenly tilt
very quickly towards your opponent. Nope, no politician will allow this
to be tried.

Mike H wrote in news:68VSc.598$tk.370
@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

Actually, it did make the NBC evening news. The (grudgingly)
admitted that the system appeared to work properly and the
two men never even got close to taking off.
Of course the didn't bother to point out that GA helicopters
are so weight limited that there is almost no way they could
do any substantial damage....

Mike

I doubt they were interested in showing that the helo itself could be
crashed into something. They were carrying a bag of what seems to have been
flower or some other powder. I think that most likely they were going to
drop the powder over some populated area and say that it could have been
anthrax or ???

At any rate, the system worked, the training worked, and the FBO nailed the
SOB's to the wall. I have been following the news nationwide on this issue
as part of my job at ANN and it's been unanimously HIGHLY critical of NBC's
actions.

Juan

Juan Jimenez wrote in
:

I doubt they were interested in showing that the helo itself could be
crashed into something. They were carrying a bag of what seems to have
been flower or some other powder.

Oops. I meant flour.

"Al Marzo" wrote in message
...
This story HAS been verified and addressed by Phil Boyer of AOPA.
Check their webpage for Phil's comment and challenge. Also, you
should email your feelings of disgust to

Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 2:41 PM
Subject: PASS THE WORD: NBC is actively trying to discredit GA

In spite of getting caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar,
NBC still felt the need to stir the pot. See their Aug. 13 article here titled:
"FBI: Al-Qaida could use helicopters, limos"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5626850/ .

Which offers the following flight of fancy: "...Helicopters might also be used
to spread chemical or biological agents in the ventilation systems of high-rise
buildings..."

They did not have the professional ethics or common decency to bother
mentioning the 100% relevant fact that they had tried to penetrate a helicopter
operation and failed miserably.

No polite term could possible describe my feelings for NBC right now. I
guess I will just have to settle for "****ing Lying Scumbags".

Vaughn