Dh B3 Billy Hutchison Andrews Afb Fdr- Questions And Typed Interview Transcript Notes

\f Maj. Biljjf Hutchinson / (1) Radio communication capability while on training mission / (Eric is being radio relay, because I can't talk to dog that far out, we're 22o miles south at tanker track; we're about halfway back, when I am able to talk to dog, by that time Gen. Wherley is down here, at sof desk because they've seen what's happened on tv and they tell me #68051) (2) Location on training mission; time it would have taken to get back to DC? Explore logistics of what if??? (3) Decision to take off again "There is another aircraft, I'm sent on flight 93, they don't know what's going on, know direction it's coming and apparently have been given some info it's coming their way." Did you know at the time the call sign 93? Is that what was said at the time, or have you pieced that together now? (4)

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u.c. aim picvtiu n iium leaguing u.^.

Said, say again He ended up saying 9wherley (sic) telling me I have authorization from nca to prevent aircraft from reaching d.c. (5)

Who was vectoring you toward intercept? ("Washington controllers" - ZDC or National Tower) Washington Approach

(6)

Fly by the Pentagon

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Surface attack mission Maj. Billy Hutchison - interview 12/05/02 Tell me what happened when you landed from the training mission. In a nutshell, that mom. We had just gotten back from red flag at nellis, didn't have a lot of people in sq who wanted to fly, myself and 2 other pilots - one was a It. In our squadron a few months Went to dare county, n.c., to dop some bombs and hit a tanker and come on back, was going to be an uneventful day, was actually a beautiful day I Lieutenant was so low on gas he would not make it to the tanker and come back here Went to tanker, en route back home, wile I'm orbiting for tanker, tanker is late, eric is telling me Washington won't allow him back into the airspace, I'm trying to figure out wahy Asked him to contact sof, It. Col. Phil thompson, and let me know what was going on % So I continued to wait for tanker, I'm getting gas, I'm low on gas at htat pt. Becuz tanker is late I get a little gas and tanker pilot ells me thru the pent that an aircraft has just struck the wtc, I'm thinking it's a small aircraft If you get more info let me know, Wingman gets on tanker and as he's gettng off, ^e just got an rtb becuz a 2nd ac has struck wtc, I said are you kidding me? Right now, uhf freq I'm on is his freq, vhf freq is to talk to wingman, I'm not listening to anyone but tanker and my wingman »He in turn says only thing allowed in the air are fighters Continuation training mission - normal training Tanker guy relaying info, so anyway he has to leave right then and right there, We got enuf gas, filled up and started heading back, in meantime, other wingman who I'd sent home calls * and says wash won't allow him back to andrews I said divert to patuxent naval air station and let me know what sof says Dog works it, they allow him to get back in All the while, eric is being radio relay, because I can't talk to dog that far out, we're 22o miles south at tinker track You need to rtb asap - sof is telling me you need to rtb asap, We come on back and as we get a little closer, there's no radio chatter on uhf, which is how we talk to air traffic control, typically you hear them talking to all other commercial airline traffic Normally, hits on radar screen, nothing is there, it's dead * As soon as we start talking to Washington center to coordinate rtb, it seems like it's already coordinated, and it's a direct shot all the way to andrews

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This is direct all the way We're about halfway back when I am able to talk to dog, by that pt." Gen wherely is down here at sof desk, ' because they've seen what's happened on tv and they tell me, .. Rtb buster - buster means as fast as aircraft will fly Now we light afterburners and we are coming back at mach as quick as we can get back, he says we need u on ground as fast as can, we need u to turn off runway w/live and I have no idea what he's talking about As I get back, cross potomac river on s end of md and va. And I see a big column of smoke, so clear, no haz in the air N tell dog, looks like there's been an explosion near national airport, what's going on? He said, we know, just keep coming As I get back here, drag my wingman straigth in from where we are He keeps telling me to get on the ground, I can't count the number of times he said that, then he finally asked me as I'm coming over approach end, he asks me my fuel status and I tell him, and ask wingman, Wingman - can't take off, min fuel Dog asks me if 1 can get back in air, says disregard, just land As I'm rolling out to touch down, gen wherely is over his shoulder and says do you have enuf gas to take off, Had about 2,800 pounds of gas at the most He says get back in air as quick asyou can 1 do a high speed taxi down the parallel, \y cleared thru tower, who is listening ot wash approach frantic with what they seem to think are afrcran comuijj; tneirway " ~~ ' ' ' There is another aircraft*, I'm sent ^fli^t93, they don't know what's going ort, know direction it's voming and apparently have been given some info it's coming their way I take off w/out afterb to conserve fuel, go across l/h, georgetown area and contine nw bround up potomac, They say an aircraft coming down northern part of potocmo, which is a skinny iteel part of river in n. maryland Continue, trying to ick up intercept and they're vecotring me in that direc, I get to frederick and they ask me to terminate Washington controllers trying/fo force an intercept between me and this other aircraft, get to frederick, md., pt. V<^r................_____' They ask me to turn to d.c., and all the while my gas is just depleting Don't have live bullets, just concrete rounds, We have 20mm rounds, just concerete, not high explosive incendiary

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-, When I took off, I've given info to intercept aircraft coming toward d.c., and prevent it from reaehiingttcy Said, say again He ended up saying 9wherley telling me I have authorization from nca to prevent aircraft from reachiing d:c. I terminte the intercept, come back to d.c., wash. Still vectoring me around to try to pick up potential threats to the area which happen to be helicopters actually responding to pentagon scene, all the while hwne I took off from andrews, I could see, no kidding, what is going on over the pentagon because I'm so low Turned out to be pentagon Wasn't until I flew past it that I actually see it was the pentagon, Came back to d.c., and ciricled pentagon at a couple hundred feet at the most,and just to one, investiage, and two, at this pt, I could see Wanted to give people on ground some semblance of security if an american figher came by, and apparently it changed the mood for a lot of people when they saw that ^ After that pt., I'm emergency fuel at this point and two aircraft take off from andrews 1 am emergency fuel, lowest I've ever been in f!6 on fuel and tell Washington I must leave they say I'm cleared to rtb, 2 more aircraft are coming off andrews First two ship airborne off andrews I end up landing, and when I'm landing, still talking to sof the whole time while I was airborne to let him know what was going on, Clear runway and park on parallel, they're loading us up w/live missiles, do not come back to ramp, park on east taxiway, When I park down there, crew chief hands me the phone, wife has been calling the squadron, wife was franitic, I call her, they're loading my aircraft up w/missiles and ufeling it w/gas, I take him and we get back in the air not long after that, Continuing to Ify quadrant caps we established w/4 to 8 airplanes

That was my day, it was a very long day

How much fuel did you have left? 2,800 pounds of fuel iin an air to ground configuration 1/8 tank of gas in car like driving around w/doors open and hitting brakes continusionsly

You're still in the cockpit and Dog Thompson told you the situation. What did he say to you? It was shocking to me, just said, roger that, At that pt. I'm pasing by pentagon to see swest corner totally destroyed

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Knew about wtc just from what tanker pilots are telling me, so I'm thinking we have terrorists all over the place I'm thinking what's going on Pretty surreal to think here I am a combat fighter pilot who is defending my own city ii would have never thought ath in a mill years, go to mideast reguarly, training to fight the enemy but never on our own soil, but in this unconventional means awa well Public - why couldn't thishave been prevented? We are traiined against conventional military forces, not against civilians taking off

What did you say when he asked you to take off again and do you remember what was going through your mind?

What time did you take off? (9:37 according to misrep?) Shortly after 10 I could see it airborne happen, big column of smoke at pentagon From a long distance, 100 miles straigth line of site, such a clear dya, just saw column of smoke, Happened while I was airborne rtbing to andrews Peole downtonw Wanted to meet pilot who flew around pentagon that morning,

Had the Pentagon been hit when you took off? Did you know about it?

Did you see the Pentagon on fire?

Did you overfly the Pentagon? If so, at what altitude and what could you see?

Where did you fly to (what direction) after you were told to take off again?

Did you fly upriver and did you encounter anything there?

How long were you airborne? 18 minutes

Had Sass and Penney taken off by the time you landed?

How many miles is Andrews from the Pentagon? . 8 miles from pentagon - striaght line 8

What controllers were you talking to when you were airborne? Washington Approach, Washington Center? Once I took back off, it was Washington approach

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Finally, what is ATIS? Don't ever call atis Did you read the piece about the 113 Wing in Aviation Week? What did you think? Did it seem accurate to you? Do you recall anything in that piece that was inaccurate? It acts as a good reference ...

After termination of intercept is when I went over pentagon Guys in sniper uniforms huggiing me Andrews tower says clear, skies are yours

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