T5 B68 Tampa Airport Qfrs Fdr- Saudi Flights- Emails And Notes 635

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Tom Eldridge From:

Walter Hempel

Sent:

Wednesday, June 02, 2004 1:13 PM

To:

Tom Eldridge

Subject: Tampa to Lexington Per Rand McNally. Tampa to Lexington is 845 miles with a drive time of 15 V* hours. Perhaps 13 hours for excops. I don't know when the Saudi flight (727) left Lexington or when the Tampa PD actually turned the three Saudi students over to Grossi and Ramirez. Not suggesting that they drove but if we can't prove they flew or didn't fly, I thought this was important.

6/2/2004

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Tom Eldridge From:

Tom Eldridge

Sent:

Monday, June 14, 2004 7:36 PM

To:

Philip Zelikow

Subject: RE: FAA and Tampa Airport PhilipI agree. We just spoke to the pilot of Hop-a-jet flight HPJ32. He said there was "nothing unusual whatsoever" about the Tampa-Lexington flight. He also said he definitely would have remembered if there had been anything unusual. He confirmed the flight and (basically) the times. He had never spoken to anyone about it before, not the FBI, not Craig Linger, not the Tampa Tribune. Right now, the only wrinkle is the FAA's inability to find the records for the other legs of the flight. Otherwise, we think the matter is pretty clear and non-controversial. -Tom ----- Original Message ----From: Philip Zelikow Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 6:06 PM To: Tom Eldridge; Chris Kojm Cc: Walter Hempel Subject: RE: FAA and Tampa Airport Thanks, Tom. It looks like this is nearing closure ...

----- Original Message ----From: Tom Eldridge Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 1:34 PM To: Philip Zelikow; Chris Kojm Cc: Walter Hempel Subject: FAA and Tampa Airport We have received the following data: From Tampa Airport: Tampa airport sent us records of flights placing them into three categories: General Aviation, Passenger, and Other Their records (based on jet noise at takeoff and landing) show that a Lear Jet (the same one in all cases) in the "other" category: Arrived at 3:34 p.m. Departed 4:37 p.m. Arrived 8:23 p.m. Departed 8:48 p.m. This is consistent with what witnesses involved with the flight have told us, i.e., that it left at 4:30 p.m., landed in Lexington at 6 p.m., and arrived back in Tampa at about 8 p.m. Tampa does not have records about the destination of these flights.

6/14/2004

Page 2 of2 Tampa Airport never really closed. The FAA approved Tampa's security procedures as of 9 a.m. on 9-13-01. Secretary Mineta announced National Airspace reopened for approved airports and flights with approved flight plans at 11 a.m. on 9-13-01. The earliest general aviation flight departing Tampa on 9-13-01 was at 3:32 p.m. This is the only departure before the 4:37 p.m. Lear Jet, but there were two general aviation arrivals before the Lear Jet departed. The earliest passenger flight departing Tampa on 9-13-01 was at 8:42 a.m. Nine passenger flights departed and four passenger flights arrived before the 4:37 p.m. Lear Jet departed. Two "other" flights arrived before the Lear Jet arrived at Tampa Airport at 3:34 p.m. Three "other" flights departed Tampa before the 4:37 p.m. Lear Jet departure. From the FAA: The FAA sent us records stating that the same Lear Jet referenced in the Tampa records (same ID No.) departed Tampa for Lexington at 8:38 p.m. It appears that the FAA has provided us information only on the Tampa plane's last departure from Tampa. I presume that the jet noise would come after the approval for the takeoff, which is why there is a ten minute difference between the FAA and Tampa records. We have asked the FAA to look again for any records about the three earlier flights.

6/14/2004