Interview with Jim Beck, Air Traffic Controller Specialist at Memphis International Airport Interview with Sam Hyte,

Air Traffic Controller Specialist at Memphis International Airport

1) How did you become aware something was wrong on 9/11? Jim: I was working the high altitude sector, just going about my normal duties and separating airplanes. A coworker, who was on break, came around the corner and said Hey, guess what, a jet just crashed into the World Trade Center. Sam: Well, I was in traffic management, which is between the command center and the controllers, which make sure all the airports are ok. They were the ones who said we had to ground all the planes, and I was the first in Memphis to get the call to ground them all. At first it was just New York City, then it was DC, then it was all planes everywhere. 9:30 am is typically really busy, so you can imagine. If you ever look at those YouTube videos that show the computer monitors with airplanes everywhere, and then it goes blank, thats what it was like.

2) What did you think was happening at first, and what did you think after you found out what was really happening, that it was a terrorist attack? Jim: At first we thought it was just an accident, and didnt really know what was going on. We were still trying to figure it out, and were told by our upper management to be aware of anything unusual, and to be on high alert. Once we realized it was an attack, it was very surreal, and scary, because it had never happened before. We went into extreme alert, and were told to land all planes. The order we were given was to go to ATC0, which means all planes had to be landed immediately. I had to contact every plane on my scope, tell them to land immediately and pick an airport, and then get them cleared to land. It was the first time ever in America this was done. Sam: I didnt really know what was going on, just knew it was bad, maybe a hijack or a crash. We dont get the news in the control room, so I found out it was an attack from coworkers coming back from break. At first I thought it was weather or a crash, because thats not too uncommon. But then when DC happened, I knew it was bad. Once I realized we were under attack, I knew it was going to be a bad day, and hoped it never happens again.

3) What was your most vivid memory of that day? Jim: After the skies were empty, we still had to watch our scopes to make sure nothing was out there. President Bush was in Florida when the attacks happened, and Air Force One flew from Florida to Barksdale Air Force Base. Air Force One actually flew through my scope, and as I was watching it, I saw several other planes coming towards Air Force One. It turned out they were F16 fighter jets coming to escort the President. Then, about 10 minutes later, a Gulf Stream jet came flying through from Florida on the same path. I got to talk to that pilot, and he told me he was on a SAM, or special air mission. Im not positive, but I think the President was on that Gulf Stream, and that Air Force One and the fighter jets was just a decoy. Sam: Well, one story I have is about an unknown victim. Once all the planes were on the ground, the only people that could depart were the military. There are planes called Lifeguard planes that fly around for transplant patients. Usually, these planes have top priority so they can get where they need to go, and well move planes around so they can get there quickly, since those organs are only good for a short amount of time. We had one in Memphis that was trying to get a heart to Omaha, NE, so I called and asked if they could fly, and was told no, only military could fly. So it was arranged that a military C130 was able to take it, but we were still told they couldnt go; only military operational flights were allowed. The heart was wasted, and the patient that was waiting for it in Omaha died. That was very sad to me, and no one knew about it.

4) How did you cope in the days following 9/11? Jim: I think like everyone else, I was in a state of disbelief and shock, and really spent the next few days thinking about how it went down, just rehashed it. I think like everyone else who went through that day; youll never forget what you were doing. Sam: I was more conscious of listening to pilots, more serious, no joking around, no funny stuff. It took a week or two before anyone was flying again. The best way I can describe it is it was very serious. Were always professional, but if I had a pilot that wasnt talking, Id wonder why, or if a pilot was turning when I didnt tell him to, it was in my mind that it may be happening again.

5) Was your daily business affected by 9/11? Jim: Oh, yeah. For a few days, all planes in America were grounded, so there were no planes in the sky. We went to work and just monitored air

space, to make sure there was nothing out there that shouldnt be, looking for more signs of terrorists. That day really changed all the rules from how we monitor planes to even what happens in the airports. Sam: It was definitely affected, our roles were changed. TSA started up, and air traffic controlling in general was different, it changed quite a bit. Before 9/11, we would get to go on familiarization trips, where we could ride in the cockpit and see it from the pilots perspective, and they could ask us questions. After 9/11, they stopped those for 11 years. It was good to see it from each others side, but that all stopped because of security.

6) What would you want your children to know and remember about that day? Jim: I think I would want them to take away that we are all lucky to live in the country that we do, and were pretty safe, but there are people out there who want to harm us. We need to work together to find a way to eliminate all the fear and hate that comes from different cultures, just because we fear whats different. Thats what Id want them to remember. Sam: Dont take things for granted. We thought it would never, happen, but it did, and it could again, so we all need to be careful.

7) What was the most difficult part of 9/11 for you? Jim: Just thinking that while I was busy landing planes and doing my job, there was the knowledge that thousands of people had just been killed, and all their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands, childrenjust all the sheer pain so many people were going through. It was just so sad. Sam: Just trying to adjust and deal. I mean, you cant go to an airport anymore to see someone off, you basically have to stay outside, all the TSA screens, and all the changes it made to air traffic controlling.

8) What did you learn about yourself that day? Jim: I really appreciated that I was safe, and really, it made me find my job a lot more interesting. I really learned how much I love my job. Sam: Thats a really tough question. I guess just to not take things for granted, watch for pilots acting funny, pay more attention to details, and report to supervisors anything out of the ordinary.

9) How has 9/11 changed you? Jim: It made me feel, like I think it did most of us who lived through that day, that we are more vulnerable and less safe than we thought we were, but also appreciative that we live in this country where we were able to react as quickly as we did. It also made me realize we need to be part of the solution, and everyone needs to be more aware of their surroundings and be on the lookout for strange behavior or possible terrorist activity. Sam: Like I said, Im much more aware of things, pay more attention to details. It could happen again. The military and intelligence are still picking up planned attacks, and we know now that there were more planned that day, and I think the work we do adverts that.

10)Is there anything else you would like to share about 9/11? Jim: I just feel special to be part of a small group of people who did their jobs well. When the planes struck the towers, there were over 5000 planes in the sky, and we worked together to get them all grounded in less than two hours without a single incident or error. Sam: Mainly that because of 9/11, a guy didnt get the heart transplant he needed. Im sure that there are hundreds of stories like that. It makes you more aware of things that people take for granted. It was 34 days before the commercial flights even started again, and even then it was slower. In the meantime, if you had a little Cessna or something in the air, the military was forcing them to land immediately. Really, nothing ever got back to normal. The cost to airlines was enormous, and you couldnt even fly out of some airports, like Washington National, for I think something like 2 years. On 9/11, it didnt matter who you were or where you were going, you were going to be grounded at the nearest airport. We even had Fred Smith, the owner of FedEx, coming through to Memphis, and the pilot asked if he could go ahead to Memphis because he had Fred Smith on board. The pilot was basically told no one cared who was on board,, to land at the nearest airport. There had been no real training for this kind of event, so we had to do a lot just on instinct.