Professional Documents
Culture Documents
COMMISSION SENSITIVE
TEAM #7 WORKPLAN
TEAM #7
Item 1: Key Questions
1. Prior to September 11, 2001, what did the U.S. aviation security system know
about terrorist threats to civil aviation? How did the different elements of the
system respond to any such information in their possession?
2. What aviation security policies and procedures were in effect as of September 11,
2001? How did these measures comply with relevant laws and regulations?
What was known of the effectiveness of this system, and how was this measured?
3. What tactics and weapons did the 9/11 hijackers use to defeat the aviation security
system and procedures in place on September 11, 2001? What was the cause of
the security failure or failures on that date: flaws in the design of the procedures;
in the transmittal (including dissemination and training); in the implementation;
some combination; or some other factor or factors?
4. What were the major policy and budgetary priorities for civil aviation security
prior to 9/11/01? How was security prioritized among other aviation policy
considerations? What risk management techniques were used in making aviation
security determinations? How did the financing of the aviation security system
impact that system?
5. What has changed with respect to civil aviation security policies and procedures
since 9/11/01? What further improvements are needed (including consideration
of arming commercial aviation and other pilots; "trusted traveler" and "trusted
shipper" programs; CAPPS II and other individual profiling systems; background
checks on transportation employees; missile defense for civilian aircraft; and
regulation of flight schools)?
TEAM #7
Item 2: Suggested Readings and Briefings
National Academy of Sciences, Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and
Technology in Countering Terrorism. June 2002. See especially, "Chapter 7:
Transportation Systems," (pp. 210-237).
Timeline for 9/11/01 hijackers prepared by Miles Kara. (For more details see
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/ which includes hyperlinks to relevant media
accounts).
Final Report of White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security ("Gore
Commission"), 1997. See especially "Chapter Three: Improving Security for Travelers"
and "Appendix I: Commissioner Cummock Dissent Letter." Also, DOT Status Report on
White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security ("One Year Later"), February
1998, 11 pages.
TEAM #7
Item 3: Document Requests
1. Airport and Air Carrier Security Plans for Dulles, Logan and Newark airports,
and representative sample of others, pre- and post- 9/11 (TSA, FAA, relevant
airport authorities and airlines)
2. "After action" reports on 9/11 hijackings and immediate agency response (FAA,
TSA, other DOT, DOD, White House)
3. Flight recorder transcripts for 9/11/01 hijacked flights (FAA, TSA, NTSB); Air
Traffic Services Cell (ATSC) reports on 9/11/01 communications between FAA
and DOD (FAA, TSA); Flight Controller records on tracking of and
communications with hijacked planes (FAA); transcripts and other records of
cockpit communications from hijacked planes (FAA, TSA); transcripts and other
records of 9/11/01 phone calls from Flight 11 attendants Ong and Sweeney
(American Airlines); transcripts and other records of any other 9/11/01 phone
calls or other communications from passengers or crew on hijacked planes (FAA,
TSA, American Airlines, United Airlines); videotapes and any other material
(including logs, records and incident reports) about hijackers from airport and
airline security systems (FAA, TSA, American Airlines, United Airlines, security
chiefs from Dulles, Logan and Newark Airports; 9/11/01 screening companies for
Dulles, Logan and Newark)
4. Relevant TSA, FAA and DOT civil aviation security rules and regulations, pre-
and post- 9/11 (DOT, TSA, FAA)
5. Civil aviation security procedural and training materials for passenger and
baggage screening, access to aircraft and secure areas of airports, and airplane
hijackings, 2001-present (FAA, TSA)
8. "Gore Commission" Final Report, and latest update (White House, DOT, TSA)
10. Threat and vulnerability assessments for airports (FAA, TSA), ports (Coast
Guard) and mass transit systems (Federal Transit Administration)
TEAM #7
Item 4: Interview Candidates
Kenneth Mead, DOT IG (federal response to transportation security threats pre- and
post-9/11)
Lt. Gen. Mike Canavan, former Assoc. Admin., Civil Aviation Security (lead-up and
aftermath of 9/11)
MGen. O.K. Steele, former Assoc. Admin, Civil Aviation Security (evolution of aviation
security system)
RAdm. Paul Busick, former Dir. Intell and Security for DOT (evolution of transportation
security system)
Adm. James Loy, TSA Administrator (same as for Mead)
Airline and Airport Security Officials for Dulles, Logan and Newark (9/11 events vs.
current system)
Flight Controllers who tracked hijacked 9/11/01 flights
FBI agents who interviewed 9/11 on-duty screeners and security personnel at Dulles,
Logan and Newark.
Representative of Air Traffic Services Cell (re 9/11/01 communications between FAA
and NORAD)
9/11 Victims/Family representatives
Key stakeholder representatives (airports, pilots, flight attendants, etc.)
Congressional staff for Appropriations, Senate Commerce and House Transportation
Committees
Stephen Flynn, Project Director for Hart-Rudman II (2002) (transportation security
priorities)
Steve Elson, former FAA "Red Team" member (agency shortcomings)
Bruce Butterworth, former Dir. of FAA Plans and Operations (agency risk management)
Lee Longmire, former Dir. of FAA Operations (agency security implementation process)
RAdm. Cathal "Irish" Flynn, former FAA Associate Administrator for Civil Aviation
Security
Claudio Mano, Dir. of Intelligence for FAA Civil Aviation Security (same as for Mead)
Asa Hutchinson, DHS Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security (same as
for Mead)
Bob Stephan, DHS Undersecretary (Acting) (same as for Mead)
Secretary Norm Mineta, DOT (same as for Mead)
Gerald Dillingham, GAO (same as for Mead)
OMB Associate Director responsible for transportation security (transportation security
budgeting)
Jane Garvey, former head of FAA (aviation security system response to pre- and post-
9/1 1 threats)
Jim Hall, former NTSB and Gore Commission (work and implementation of Gore
Commission)
Bartholomew Elias, CRS Specialist on Aviation Security (current aviation security issues
and options)
Cathleen Berrick, GAO Dir. Homeland Security (current transportation security issues
and options)
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
COMMISSION SENSITIVE
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
COMMISSION SENSITIVE