Wherley Interview

(1) Communication with USSS\Order to launch

• Caine and Sass saw the second plane hit WTC II; went from the
lounge to the operations desk and got on the phone with ATC
tower - thought they would have trouble recovering 3 fighters.
Talking to the Tower Chief (NAME?); he says we just had a
request from USSS to get fighters over DC. So Caine hung up and
called Ken Beauchamp. He says I don't know of any such request
but I'll call you back. Beauchamp calls back and says "Get
anything you can airborne."
• Wherley talks to Beauchamp; he says get me someone higher up in
the food chain. Beauchamp gave him the number of the JOC;
Nelson Garabito.
• Talked to Garabito; Wherley said I'd like someone in the military
food chain to tell me this.
They said, "It's coming direct from the Vice President. They
want a CAP over Andrews.

Who is the "they"? It was Garabito who told you this?

Ediger repeated it.

(2) ROE

Meaning of weapons free?

They have control from the cockpit

Hutchinson - did he or did he not have ROE?

(Wherley said no in historian interview; Hutchinson said yes to
Filson?)

Passed ROE to Sasserville

(3) What were the intel guys doing?

"They actually got on a secure line to the JOC and were getting feeds
from their sources on the airline tracks that were suspect."

Trying to find targets? Playing I.D./Weapons Desk ~

(4) NEADS
Didn't think they would be much help; knew their comms weren't
good

Wherley tried to call NORAD while Dougherty called First Air Force.
Called CMOC and talked to Lt. Col. Peterson; told to call
Huntress; passed frequency 360.7; "I don't think they tried it
initially"
Did he tell his pilots to try it, or just FYI? His pilots
could have been shot down if the Langley fighters had
the same ROE, and weren't aware who was up there.
You would think it would be a priority.

(5) Awareness of Langley Fighters

Langley first learned of Andrews by hearing them on Guard.

Langley stayed high and Andrews worked lower altitude.

Doesn't know if pilots passed the ROE to Langley.

(6)

MISCELLANEOUS

(1) Why wasn't Bully 2 (landed at 1010) turned around?

(2) Briefing Caine refers to in his interview (pp6-7)

Maj. Billy Hutchinson

(1) Radio communication capability while on training mission

(Eric is being radio relay, because I can't talk to dog that far out, we're 22o
miles south at tanker track; we're about halfway back, when I am able to
talk to dog, by that time Gen. Wherley is down here, at sof desk because
they've seen what's happened on tv and they tell me #68051)

(2) Location on training mission; time it would have taken to get back to
DC?
Explore logistics of what if???

(3) Decision to take off again -

"There is another aircraft, I'm sent on flight 93, they don't know
what's going on, know direction it's coming and apparently have been
given some info it's coming their way."

Did you know at the time the call sign 93? Is that what was said at the
time, or have you pieced that together now?

(4) ROE

"When I took off, I've given info to intercept aircraft coming toward
d.c. and prevent it from reaching d.c.
Said, say again
He ended up saying 9wherley (sic) telling me I have authorization
from nca to prevent aircraft from reaching d.c.

(5) Who was vectoring you toward intercept? ("Washington controllers"

- ZDC or National Tower)

Washington Approach

(6) Fly by the Pentagon

 ANDREWS

Timeline:

10371 Bully 1 (Pilot - Maj. William ("Testy") Hutchinson) take off;

vectored by Washington Center to patrol along the Potomac
River towards Georgetown (check ZDC tapes); landed at 1046
(Tape 7981A2B, Local Control)

Ammunition

Capt Louis ("Shooter") Campbell on it: "We landed on 1R and

Dog came on Victor again, this time with a surprisingly high
pitched voice! He wanted to know our fuel state. I think Billy
had about 2500 and I had 1900. He told Billy to take the active,
and "Take off now!" He said, "I don't know what's going on,
but it sound's [sic] like something's coming up the river, and
they want you to look at it." Billy goosed it to the end of the
runway and took off- mil power. He was cleared to turn West
and was told by the controller, "You own the airspace over the
capital!" He later told me about flying over the Pentagon and
viewing the devastation there first hand. He was whizzing by a
million helicopters, so he decided to climb a little..." (Bates
38260)

Andrews Towers tape (Tape 7982 B2B, Arrival Radar); first radar return at 1038:44; mission report puts
time at 1034 (Bates #38288)