VIDEO OF FLY-BY POSTED BELOW: Some military aircraft flying over lower Manhattan, including a Boeing 747 from the Air Force One fleet, caused a brief scare for residents, workers, and pedestrians on Monday, but CBS 2 has learned the jets were part of a Department of Defense photo shoot and that there was no threat to the city.
The head of the White House Military Office issued an apology just after 4:30 p.m.
“Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused,” Director Louis Caldera said in a statement.
According to many callers who flooded CBS 2 HD with their concerns, at about 10 a.m. the aircraft were seen flying at low altitudes over the Statue of Liberty and parts of lower Manhattan. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that two F-16s escorting a Boeing 747 — which CBS 2 confirmed is also used as an Air Force One — were part of the Department of Defense photo shoot.
Many residents and workers who saw the aircraft evacuated their buildings as a result, but officials say there is no reason for a panic.
Ellen in Bayonne, N.J. described what she saw to WCBSTV.com: “I saw the jet flying very very low over the Hudson river, it looked like it was going to fly through our office window. Then it banked sharply toward New Jersey. But our building was evacuated because it did this 3 times. A photo shoot should have been communicated to the building in the area. We haven’t forgotten 9/11, people were in a panic, lots of rumors, not a good situation.”
Most witnesses who called and wrote to CBS 2 HD and WCBSTV.com were furious that local authorities hadn’t notified anyone about the fly-over. The FAA, however, says they contacted the NYPD, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Office, New Jersey state police and other local authorities were told ahead of time about the shoot.
The NYPD told CBS 2, however, that they were instructed by the FAA not to publicize information regarding the incident.
Air Force officials say this was a photo mission for their crew. They were shooting from the Statue of Liberty to south of the Holland tunnel, as well as from the Newark Bay to north of the Staten Island Expressway.
Officials say the shoot was part of a normal training mission. They added that they do these mission quite often.
VIDEO OF FLY-BY: Click HERE for video.
(Source: WCBSTV)
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8 Responses
The Spendthrift in Chief should apologize for the “confusion, disruption, and American arrogance”. He’s been doing a lot of that lately. A mission over New York City! What audacity!
The Obama administration obviously can estimate the full scope of their actions/decisions. NOT!
The arrogance of the President is unbelievable. The only thing that matters to him is his public image. If it upsets thousands of people, so what; he doesn’t care. Obama won New York and most probably New Yorkers would vote for him again and forget and ignore this.
Flatbush Bubby. New Yorkers as well as anyone else in the country,will always forgive Obama. People are in love with him,and he can do no wrong. Remember o j simpson? Obama is a celebrity(just like Reagan used to be) and celebroties can never be guilty,or do anything wrong. People are mesmerized with our president.
p.s. anyone seen “REV”. Wright? He’s been awfully quite lately. Is this what they call a Spin,or damage control?
I haven’t seen anything to suggest that Obama personally knew of this mission. This is the type of bureaucratic thinking that takes place lower down. Just like the mind set that says that getting a photo is SECRET and nobody can be told (even the thousands of people sitting in their offices who will be watching the jets…and then having flash-backs to 9-11).
minkymalka, dont mention the name of The Great Ronaldus Magnus in the same sentence as the Annointed One, The Messiah, The Obama.
Shlomo2, please dont think The Obama wouldnt know about this?! They used a plane in the AF1 fleet, HE HAS TO KNOW. Having read history, the annointed one sounds like what the russians used to say about stalin yemach sh’mo, that he certainly didnt know about what his hentchmen were doing. Ya, you beleive that and i have a few bridges to sell you as well as a tunnel or 2!
Hey Mark,can you throw in a couple of toll booths with the bridge? I did that last time,and the buyer was very happy.I have no problems with Obama-man except that he associated himself with black jive talkin,race baiting,racist,hustler WRIGHT. and claiming that in 20 years he never paid attention,or heard what WRIGHT had to say in church. AMAZING! Remember Geraldine Ferraro,halfway in the race,when she was supporting Clinton,and she said that if Obama were a white man,he could have gotten so far, in general,or gotten so far with all the bad episodes and the WRIGHT controversy and get away with it. Remember Mary Jo Kopechne and Ted Kennedy? same type of situation politically and he got off scott free,just like the Teflon Don Gotti. Some people get away with everything. Funny how the WRIGHT episode got swept under the rug,and no one brings it up anymore. Can you imagine if Obama,or WRIGHT were WHITE? They’s be be hanging at high noon.