Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Lt Col Steve O’Brien:
For a year witnesses had spoken of a C130 above the Pentagon. As stories spread questioning the competence of Hani Hanjour to perform the aerobatics that the Boeing 757 is reported to have made, prior to diving into the Pentagon like a military plane, Lt Col Steve O’Brien surfaced to give eye witness account.
Reports quoting O’Brien in newspapers and TV are contradictory and the BBC does not examine or bring to the viewers attention note worthy issues concerning his flight: [More]
O’Brien is reported to have taken off on a “routine” flight from Andrews Air base some 5 minutes after the grounding order was issued. (9:25) This order was to all military and private planes, to make immediate landings at nearest airfields. The only exceptions were Warren Buffet’s Lear jet, Airforce One and, by accident it would appear, Lt Col O’Brien’s C130. The role of supersonic fighters with the responsibility to defend the nation remains unclear.
The first man in history to see a full size airliner disappear into thin air after hitting the Pentagon, Lt Col O’Brien, for reasons unknown, failed to comply with the grounding order. Rather than return to Andrews a short distance away, O’Brien flew west, Over western Pennsylvania, he (O’Brien) “looked down at a blackened, smouldering field”. This was F93. So O’Brien is unique in witnessing the only two passenger jets in aviation history to crash without leaving behind any significant aircraft wreckage.
As a serving military officer, signatory of official secrets act, Lt Col O’Brien is duty bound to defend his brothers in arms and the prestige of his country’s armed forces. As a military officer he has to obey orders.
