T8 B3 Boston Center Alan Miller Fdr- 9-22-03 2 Mfr And 1 Handwritten Notes 748

[Classification] MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Event: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Boston Center Field Site Interview with Alan Miller, ZBW ATC. Type of event: Interview Date: Monday, September 22, 2003 Special Access Issues: None Prepared by: Geoffrey Brown Team Number: 8 Location: FAA Boston Air Route Center, Nashua, New Hampshire Participants - Non-Commission: John R. Donnelly, FAA Senior Attorney [(781) 238 7045] Participants - Commission: John Azzarello, Miles Kara, Geoffrey Brown NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the following paraphrases the response and opinion of the interviewee. Please refer to the interview transcript for a complete account.

Alan Miller has been with the FAA since 1989 as a certified professional controller and has spent most of his career at Area C. On 9/11 Miller was assigned to Boston High Sector (above 24,000 ft.) as the RA position (46RA). Prior to sitting down at 46R Miller noted that Pete Zilowski was by himself handling the situation with AA11. He received a very short brief on the situation from Zilowski. The Area Superviser, John Shippani, was away from the aisle briefing TMU on the situation. Miller heard that it was a possible hijacking, and Zilowski explained the circumstances of the airplane (NORDO, no transponder beacon). He was told that there were unclear communications and that the transponder was still emitting the primary code C when AA11 stopped responding all together north of Chester in Area B. In Area C airspace AA11 received a flight data tag and was under primary tracking. Zilowski continued to track AA11 southbound after the threatening transmissions were confirmed. Miller noted that other controllers, or the TMU alerted other centers of the circumstance. Miller took over for Zilowski, and was at the main radar position for Sector 46 at the first impact. Miller was told of the impact by John Shippani, and Miller immediately thought it was AA11. The Sector was closed to air traffic Miller moved traffic to the low Sector 47, which is approximately 11,000 ft. and above to 15,000 ft. and above over Boston. Miller left for break since his traffic was clear and he saw the second hit on the WTC on

the break room television. Miller stated that ATC FAA training had allowed the controllers at ZBW to successfully clear the skies once the order was given. Post-9/11 Miller believes the FAA has a different role as a coordinator with the military. He stated there should be more training for FAA ATCs to take part in this responsibility.

Commission Sensitive MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

Event: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Boston Center Field Site Interview with Alan Miller, ZBW ATC. Type of event: Interview Date: Monday, September 22, 2003 Special Access Issues: None Prepared by: Geoffrey Brown Team Number: 8 Location: FAA Boston Air Route Center, Nashua, New Hampshire Participants - Non-Commission: John R. Donnelly, FAA Senior Attorney [(781) 238 7045] Participants - Commission: John Azzarello, Miles Kara, Geoffrey Brown NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the following paraphrases the response and opinion of the interviewee. Please refer to the interview transcript for a complete account. Background Alan Miller has been with the FAA since 1989 as a certified professional controller and has spent most of his career at Area C. On 9/11 Miller was assigned to Boston High Sector (above 24,000 ft.) as the Radar Associate (46RA), assisting Pete Zalewski, the Radar Controller at that position (46R). Morning of 9-11 Prior to sitting down Miller noted that Zalewski was by handling the situation with AA11 by himself. Miller received a very short brief on the situation from Zalewski. The Area Superviser, Jon Schiapanni, was away from the aisle briefing the Traffic Management Unit (TMU) on the situation. Miller heard that it was a possible hijacking, and Zalewski explained the circumstances of the airplane: no communications and no transponder beacon. He was told that there were some unclear communications and that the transponder was still at Mode C flight level 290 when AA11 stopped responding all together north of Chester in Area B's area of responsibility. In Area C airspace AA11 received a flight data tag and was under primary tracking. Zalewski continued to track AA11 southbound after the threatening transmissions were confirmed. Miller noted that other controllers, or the TMU alerted other centers of the circumstance. Miller took over for Zalewski, and was at the radar controller position for Sector 46 at the first impact into the World Trade Center. Miller

was told of the impact by Jon Schiapanni, and Miller immediately thought it was AA11. The Sector was closed to air traffic Miller moved traffic to the lower altitude Sector 47 over Boston. Miller left for break since his traffic was clear and he saw the second hit on the WTC on the break room television. At that point he did not know about another hijack or that it also had departed Logan airport. At one point Schiapanni told him about the first World Trade Center impact and the way he said it "was not good news." Miller had no reason to think it was something other than AA11 and thought that was what Schiapanni had implied. Other Items Miller stated that ATC FAA training had allowed the controllers at Boston Center to successfully clear the skies once the order was given. What they did that day was pretty much what they could do. He thought of hijacking, at the time, as a landing somewhere and had never imagined that what did happen could happen. In his words, "the plane had control of what we were doing." Post-9-11, Miller believes the FAA has a different role as a coordinator with the military. He stated there should be more training for Controllers to take part in this activity.

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