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O'BRIEN, YEARS COVERING
AVIATION, A PILOT, CORRESPONDENT
FOR THE PBS NEWS HOUR.
I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME
SO MANY THEORIES BEING
DISCUSSED.
I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
MAKES THIS SUCH A COMPELLING
STORY IS THAT EVERYBODY HAS ONE
AND PART OF WHAT'S GONNA BE THE
MOTIVE IS SOMETHING PERSONAL
THAT EVERY HUMAN CAN SOMEHOW
CONNECT WITH.
HIJACKING, SUICIDE, MECHANICAL
FAILURE, ALL OF THESE ARE ON THE
TABLE.
BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT
DO YOU THINK HAPPENED?
>> IT IS AN EPIC MYSTERY,
COUPLED WITH A CHAOTIC AND
INCOMPLETE RELEASE OF
INFORMATION.
THROW IN THE 24-HOUR NEWS CYCLE
AND I'VE GOT A LOT OF
SPECULATION IN THE MIX.
I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO DEEP
INTO SPECULATION, BUT LET'S JUST
IMAGINE FOR A MINUTE THAT THIS
TURN BEGAN 12 MINUTES BEFORE
THEY SAID GOOD NIGHT AS WE HAVE
BEEN REPORTING ALL TODAY.
WHY WASN'T THE AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLER THAT THEY WERE
COMMUNICATING WITH GIVING THEM A
CALL SAYING, HEY, WHERE ARE YOU
HEADED?
I KNOW IN MY PLANE, IF I HAVE A
COURSE DEVIATION OFF OF MY
ASSIGNED COURSE IN 30 SECONDS TO
A MINUTE, AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
IS GOING TO CALL ME AND SAY
WHERE ARE YOU GOING, 2 CHARLIE
VICTOR.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE FULL
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RECORDINGS
FROM TAKEOFF TO THE POINT WHERE
THEY SAY GOOD NIGHT.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT LAID UP
AGAINST WHAT RADAR DATA THEY
HAVE.
AND THEN WE CAN START MAKING
MAYBE A LITTLE MORE REASONABLE
DECISION ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAVE
HAPPENED HERE.
NOW, AND THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT --
LET'S ASSUME THE TURN HAPPENED
AND THE CONTROLLER WAS ASLEEP.
>> THE FIRST TURN WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT YOU GO THAT FIRST TURN,
ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT VEERS LEFT.
GOT T
>> SO THAT TO ME TAKES YOU DOWN
A ROAD WHERE A MECHANICAL FAIL
YOUR LESS LIKELY.
IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM AT THAT
POINT THAT NECESSITATED A TURN
TO LAND, THE PILOT'S GONNA GET
ON THE RADIO AND SAY MAY DAY,
RIGHT?
SO LET'S ASSUME FOR A MOMENT
THAT SOMETHING BAD WAS HAPPENING
ON BOARD.
TWO SCENARIOS THERE.
IT COULD BE A GOOD PILOT, A GOOD
CREW WITH A BAD HIJACKER AND THE
GOOD PILOT IS TRYING TO SIGNAL
TO THE GROUND THAT SOMETHING
WRONG IS HAPPENING.
THE HIJACKER KNOWS ABOUT THE
SECRET SQUAWK CODES AND ALERT
YOU TO A HIJACKING OR THE SECRET
THINGS SAY ON THE RADIO AND
MAYBE HE JUST INTRODUCED A
GENTLE TURN TO TRY TO GET
PEOPLE'S ATTENTION AND MAYBE
THAT NON-STANDARD HANDOFF, THAT
GOOD NIGHT, WAS PART OF THAT