http://911myths.com/index.php?title=P56&feed=atom&action=historyP56 - Revision history2024-03-28T08:38:54ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.22.7http://911myths.com/index.php?title=P56&diff=7482&oldid=prevMike at 11:54, 11 May 20092009-05-11T11:54:26Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>John Judge has argued that Flight 77 should not have reached the Pentagon as it was under an area of restricted airspace called P-56-A:<br />
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{{divbox|amber||...the Pentagon sits inside the P-56-A restricted air space section that extends 17 miles in all directions from the Washington Monument, and that activated air defenses from a joint FAA/Secret Service radar and air traffic control at Langley, VA for many years prior to 9/11. Interceptor fighter jets in that area, which is separate from and more restricted than FAA commercial air space, as well as much better defended, were regularly scrambled when small or commercial planes went off course or were not on scheduled routes within a larger Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) that extends 50 miles out to give time for the response. Andrews Air Force base, within 10 miles of the city as well as the 113th Air Wing of the National Guard at Anacostia NAS have provided consistent scramble-ready defenses for the P-56 sector, which protects the most important government buildings. Having grown up and lived in the area for most of my life, I saw such defensive responses many times, guiding planes away from the restricted area. Commercial pilots have also long complained about the difficult curving maneuvers necessary to land or take off at Washington National Airport (now Reagan) to avoid entering P-56-B, the three-mile inner restricted zone above the White House, Capitol and Pentagon.<br>http://www.ratical.org/ratville/JFK/JohnJudge/P56A.html}}<br />
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The same claim has then been repeated by David Ray Griffin and others. It sounds like a solid argument, but there is one small problem: it isn't true.<br />
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Here's the map of P56, as we write (May 2009), sourced from the FAA's site:<br />
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[[Image:P56.gif]]<br />
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Note the arrows pointing to the two P56 areas. Nothing extends for "17 miles in all directions". The Pentagon, across the river, is not included.<br />
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Has it changed? No. Here's an actual FAA description of the airspace from 2005:<br />
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<div class="boilerplate metadata" id="" style="{{divstyleamber}}"><center><b></b></center>'''Prohibited Area 56 (P-56)'''<br />
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P-56A & B are areas surrounding the White House and the vice president’s residence. <br />
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The only aircraft that are allowed to fly within these prohibited areas are specially authorized flights that are in direct support of the U.S. Secret Service, the Office of the President, or one of several government agencies with missions that require air support within P-56. These prohibited areas have been in effect for about 50 years. <br />
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P-56A covers approximately the area west of the Lincoln Memorial (Rock Creek Park) to east of the Capitol (Stanton Square) and between Independence Ave. and K Street up to 18,000 feet. <br />
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P-56B covers a small circle of about 1 nautical mile (about 1.2 statute miles) surrounding the Naval Observatory on Massachusetts Ave. up to 18,000 feet.<br>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060104192717/http://www.faa.gov/news/news_story.cfm?type=fact_sheet&year=2005&date=121305 Web Archive source]</div><br />
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''These prohibited areas have been in effect for about 50 years.'' And they do not cover the Pentagon.<br />
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And even if you do fly into a prohibited area, what's likely to happen? Here's an iPilot article from 2002:<br />
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{{divbox|amber||'''Crime and Punishment''': What happens if you fly into one of the charted ones, say P-56 around the White House, Capital Building, and (ironically) the Air and Space Museum? (I hasten to add that this is now highly unlikely due to SFAR 94 and the "15-mile ring" around Washington, but do note that in the one-year period after September 11, 2001, there have been about 100 incursions involving P-40, or Camp David. For argument's sake, though, let's say you did bust P-56.) Well, the controllers at Washington National-I refuse to say Reagan-fill out a Pilot Deviation Report describing the incident, as well as pilot qualifications and personal information. Accompanying this is a tape of any conversation the pilot had with ATC, and a radar trajectory plot. These are all sent to the local FSDO, which would initiate any remedial action. Although the Secret Service doesn't work with them, besides a meeting with a FSDO inspector, the pilot should also expect one with the Secret Service (which actually now "owns" this airspace, as of March, 1999). Of about 100 pilots who have busted P-56 during the last 10 years, most got a warning letter. One was fined $1000, and several had their licenses suspended for up to 120 days.<br>http://www.shashek.com/Flight_Logs/Docs/iPilot_Articles/Keep_Out.shtml}}<br />
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You're not going to be shot down. If you're sure to be intercepted then they don't mention it here. The most likely consequence before 9/11, according to this pilot and aviation writer, was "a warning letter". It seems these airspace rules weren't as relevant to 9/11 as Judge and David Ray Griffin would have us believe.</div>Mike