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COMMISSION SENSITNE .
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
Event: Steve Marra, air traffic controller at Andrews AFB TRACON
Type: Interview
Date: March 11, 2004 ,
Special Access Issues: None
Prepared By: Lisa Sullivan
Team: 8
Participants (non- Commission): SteveMarra
.
Participants (Commission): LisaSullivan, Miles Kara, andKevin Shaeffer
Location: Andrews AFB ATC Tower
SteveMarrawas interviewed by Commission staff on aprevious trip to Andrews Tower.
Thepurpose of the follow- up interview was to address themessage played ontheair
traffic frequency warning pilots inWashington areathey were entering Class B airspace
andwould be shot down.
On 9- 11, Marra was working arrival radar at theTower. Marra confirmed that heheard
themessage inquestion. He saidheheard it broadcast over theATIS (automated terminal
information system) that morning. Thesystemis used by controllers to update pilots on a
regular basis of weather, restrictions, andany other information pertinent to their travel.
Pilots know to tuneintotheATIS as they enter anew sector.
DaveMaddox (now at Potomac tracon) switched- off withRoosevelt Thompson as
Supervisor ofthe tower that day. Marrawas answering phones while theothers were
running theTower.
Hedoes not remember theSecret Servicegoing uptotheTower or what time they came
to theBase. Hesays hedoesn't remember anything about that.
Therewas asecurity briefing at onepoint inthemorning that heattended. They shut
down theBase.
Karen Pontius fromWashington HDQTs at FAA told Marraonthephone to scramble the
F- 16s. Maria knew Pontius fromprevious experience. Hedoes not know what her title
or position was on 9- 11. She's held various jobs at FAA. Shemay havebeen inrunway
safety. According toMarra, theguy sittinginthedeskin front of Pontius told her she
COMMISSION SENSITNE 1
COMMISSION SENSITIVE
needed tocall Andrews. He doesn't recall thetimeof thecall, although hethinks it was
right after thePentagon was hit. Heremembers hearing that theEOB was bombed.
Marra called the 113
th
Air National Guard Command ontheother sideof theairfield, also
located at Andrews. Hethinks aColonel answered his call. Hetold himthat hegot acall
fromFAA HDQTs toscramble theF- 16s. Hetold theCommand to"check with
whomever hehad tocheck with" to execute theorder. According toMarra, the
Command started loading themup withmissiles;
Marra has abackground intheAir Force. Heused to loadweapons onF- 4s soheknew
how long it would taketheCommand toready thejets.
Themessage over theATIS was spoken by Dave Maddox andit went out after 10AM.
Someone within FAA or AF toldMaddox tomakethetransmission. It wasn't ascripted
transmission. Maddox provided thewords based onthesituation andtheinformation he
had at thetime. The announcement went out at 15minute intervals.
His ATIS is picked up20minutes away fromthetower; probably a100mile radius.
CO:MMISSIONSENSITIVE
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