plane that flew over lower Manhattan Monday morning. (Courtesy WNBC)

By Jason Fink

Talk about stupid.

Panicked New Yorkers — including Mayor Michael Bloomberg — were left furious and dumbfounded Monday over why the military would stage a photo op with a low-flying Air Force One look-alike, trailed by an F-16 fighter jet, buzzing lower Manhattan without warning.

“We thought we were under attack again,” said Laorie Crystal, 50, who lives in Battery Park City and was walking her dog at the time. “It was very scary.”

The White House later apologized for the confusion.


AP

“Clearly, it was a mistake in judgement,” said an Obama administration official who asked not to be named.

Thousands of jittery office workers in lower Manhattan, many compelled by traumatic memories of 9/11, streamed out of buildings shortly before 10 a.m. yesterday, when the plane — a Boeing 747 — flew over the Financial District at somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 feet. Some witnesses even reported to the NYPD that the planes were at no more than 500 feet.

The flight was staged to capture updated its file photos of Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop.

“Everyone panicked, as you can certainly understand,” said John Leitner, a floor trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange Building.

The Federal Aviation Administration sent an e-mail Thursday to the NYPD and to an official in the mayor’s office, informing them of the mission but no one told Bloomberg, who only found out when his BlackBerry lit up with the news yesterday.

Bloomberg said he was “furious” no one told him.

“Had I known about it I would have tried to stop it,” the mayor said.

The city often releases information when it is planning to conduct a drill related to terrorism. In this case, however, the FAA made it clear that revealing news of the flyover would break federal law regarding classified information, according to Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, the NYPD’s top spokesman.

Meanwhile, the city official informed by the FAA of the mission but who failed to notify Bloomberg “has been reprimanded” and a disciplinary letter placed in his file, according to a mayoral spokesman.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), one of a chorus of elected officials who blasted the FAA, said not telling the public beforehand “defies logic and borders on simply being cruel.

“To not realize that people would see this stunt in broad daylight and think of 9/11 defies logic and shows the FAA is completely asleep at the switch,” Schumer said.

Newsday and the Associated Press contributed to this story.


Source:http://weblogs.amny.com/entertainment/urbanite/blog/2009/04/white_house_fighter_jet_photo.html


New York Related:
http://weblogs.amny.com/entertainment/urbanite/blog/2009/04/astoria_residents_temporarily.html

P.S. Could we call this a Presidential Prank? Or, maybe State Sponsored Terrorism? Arsenio.

How can you send a low flying Air Force One near Lower Manhattan for pictures???

This is what I call just a harbinger of what this Machiavellian Administration is worthy of passing off as a mistake in judgement. When this is an outright impeachable offense; something that can be considered as betraying the oath of the Presidency of the U.S. A breach of responsibilty; A treason to put it mildly. Yet, some on this forum continue lauding this American Idol, a full 5 months after the election. Call me crazy, but, this really amazes me, and I'm surprised that others can not see the forest from the trees. All they see is green pastures.

Folks, I repeat, this is just a harbinger of what lies ahead for the USA; And it's hasn't even been 100 days yet!

Arsenio.

Arsenio, I realize it was a FUBAR mess and humungous lack of communication, and should have dire consequences and penalties, for those responsible.
But to personally hold Obama accountable for this, don't you think is going too far?
BTW Thanks for the news info, I didn't catch it in the evening version.
Anyway President Obama was furious about this as you can read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/nyregion/28plane.html?th&emc=th

under the auspices of a photo op and at a cost of millions they could of at least photo shopped it I think it is hog wash and there is more to this than meets the eye .How stupid could they be .I am on my way to the grassy knoll

This is quite irresponsible and I'm not sure why any of those involved thouht, "wait for a moment, shouldn't we send a memo to bloomberg that we're going to do this, so that people are aware". This was an impressive lack of coordination.

Mayor's office did approve this, why be cynical towards the White House but not towards Bloomberg? I actually got calls from worried co-workers but before long we knew what was going on via the internet. A ridiculous screw up? Yes. Impeachable?

Tax dodgers and incompetents the new admin is infested with them

Manny tell us what you think of Bankster Bagmen Giethner/Summers Plan On Big Give Away To Citi

Generoso,

There's more to being president than ditty-bopping up to the microphones, then stammering and stuttering about the first thing that pops up. The Commander in Chief bears full responsibility in this dereliction of duty; There's no excuse for this dastardly irresponsible act; It's a slap on the face of the citizens of NYC (many have never recovered from that bloody Tuesday morning). This ain't no joke, partner.

By the way my son works in lower Manhattan, just yards away from where they now call "ground zero"; He's worked there ever since (check this out) Monday/ September 10, 2001. I don't think my son, or all the others whose blood pressure rose in a matter of seconds take this lapse of awareness ligthly. Ya esta bueno de dejarse tomar el pelo!

There's no logical explanation for this over-sight; If this were Zimbawe or perhaps, Papua New Guinea, I'd excuse it as a Third World Country Armed Forces faux-pas; But, the United States Air Force One flying low over NYC after the 3,000 + lives lost during that yet to be explained disastrous day, is frankly perplexing; And leads me to wander who in Heaven's name is running this outfit? Is it Colonel Saunders? Or, is it the Adolfo Nicolas SJ, the Jesuit General?

Don't give me that Bin Ladin mumbo-jumbo, or that Taliban bunkum, or that Al-CIA-da biz! Aqui hay gatos encerrao'!


Arsenio.

I actually heard some SFB on the radio blaming this on Bush.