CIT has, as a prime part of their thesis, this ridiculous claim that AA77 flew southeast of the White House, over the Anacostia part of the region, crossing the Potomac headed west before heading north to the Pentagon.
Not only does radar data (RADES as well as the Dulles ASR-9) prove the CIT Cover Girls to be fools, but 6 Dulles ATC personnel, in their hand-written statements made on 9/12/2001 refute this absurd "southeast of the WH" claim.
6 more "co-conspirators", I suppose, according to CIT. Plotting out each of these statements on a map shows the aircraft never came close to crossing the Potomac eastbound as claimed by CIT. The following information comes from the statements located in
the link Boone provided in the opening post:
Robert Utley stated he tracked the aircraft 7 mi east of AML (Dulles) eastbound, 1 mile west of DCA, it made a right turn heading southwest, 3 miles north of DAA (Ft Belvoir) it turns north, 10 mi east of AML, turns east again, then 3 miles west of DCA, lost contact.
Robert Devery stated the target was SE of Dulles, headed 090 plus or minus 10 degrees, headed toward P-56. The aircraft turned south to parallel the north final to DCA as if it were entering a west downwind for rwy 1 at DCA. For a few miles it continued south, then it made a right turn - "...for a moment it appeared as though it were turning toward a DCA departure being handed off to our High Sector". He thought it may try to hit the department or was a US fighter (based on speed). The target continued right turn back to NE heading. The target disappeared approx 3-4 miles from P-56.
Robert Brickley Jr stated the aircraft proceeded to a point approximately 8 miles southwest of P-56, made a right 360 degree turn, proceeded northeast bound and dropped from radar approximately 6 miles south-southwest from P-56.
Roseanne McConnell said "I looked for the target and saw it west of the White House. It was primary only and it appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed. It then started a right hand turn and came back towards DCA and the White House. When the target was just west of DCA the target disappeared."
“FM” dictated to Terrence Walsh: He was alerted to fast moving target. First observed target 2 mi east of AML (Dulles). Target proceeds to a point 1 mile west of Crystal City and turned southwest to a point 5 miles NE of DAA. It then made a right turn, 2 miles north of DAA and proceeded northbound. 3 miles later the target turned northeast bound and shortly thereafter radar contact was lost.
William Howell stated "We had a target headed eastbound towards the White House
Continued to watch the target move eastbound and then turn southbound. The target went a few miles south of DCA then made a sharp turn northbound, back in the direction of DCA".
The ONLY statement that even remotely could indicate an easterly heading was from Todd Lewis:
"The target went just south of the White House then turned southeast and disappeared."
If the CIT boys are going to hang their scheme on this Lewis statement, they'll have to toss out all the other claims about the aircraft turning back west. These statements were all related to the inbound target, so the CIT boys will really have to twist things up pretty good to try and claim it is evidence of a Pentagon fly-over.
