A FEW things startled me after Cory Lidle, a former Yankees pitcher, crashed his airplane into a New York City high-rise. The plane crashed in Manhattan, not far from the location of the former World Trade Center towers. Manhattan, of all places, is the last place many would have expected to see a plane crash.
The tragic irony of this incident was also a bit disheartening. Even the paragon of America -- a baseball player, a citzen most unlikely to crash a plane into a building (even if it was an accident) -- did so in the heart of New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration has to worry about famous baseball players crashing into buildings with innocent civilians in addition to the possibility of terrorist attacks.
Others, to my dismay, did not share the same qualms. Rather, the quick response of government agencies became the locus of attention. Americans, however, should have placed the spotlight on the gaping hole in FAA regulations which were ultimately to blame and should have asked: How did this still happen after 9/11?
It happened because of government failure. Every year since 9/11 has been an opportunity to affect change in our airspace regulations to reduce the threat of terrorism from above. These opportunities have unfortunately been swept away repeatedly by an incompetent government. Many Americans are angered and embarrassed that it took this incident to wake-up FAA officials after a five year slumber. Airspace regulations should've been tightened by now. Especially given that small planes could be used as "terrorist-guided missiles."
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told the Associated Press that "A smart terrorist could load up a small, little plane with biological, chemical or even nuclear material and fly up the Hudson or East rivers, no questions asked."
To be fair, large aircraft like commercial airline jets are prohibited above Manhattan. Below 1,100 feet, small aircraft, like Lidle's plane, are permitted. Moreover, their flight plans aren't required to be submitted to air traffic controllers. Sure, the FAA rules seemed logical -- at least in President Bush's world. After all, bigger planes can carry more explosives thereby posing a greater threat. As for small planes, who cares?
Manhattan's airspace, as Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., describes it, is "the Wild West" -- a name befitting New York's airspace under President Bush, who is well known for his cowboy persona. To hear a politician (especially one from New York), describe something as such is highly disconcerting. When I think of the Wild West, I picture bandits and shootouts -- the modern equivalents of which are terrorists and explosions.
Thankfully, I'm not the only one who realized something strange about small aircraft being permitted in otherwise restricted airspace. Now that Lidle proved that small aircraft can crash in Manhattan, FAA officials are finally re-examining their current regulations. Until now, the FAA has seriously downplayed terrorist threats involving small aircraft.
Admittedly, dealing with small airplanes is difficult because of a heavy volume of traffic. This problem might not be as burdensome if non-essential traffic was eliminated. After all, it is likely that many of the flights in Manhattan's airspace are for recreational purposes. Take, for example, Lidle's own flight which was for personal enjoyment. Flights like these should be completely prohibited from city airspace in order to reduce the likelihood of both terrorist attacks and accidents.
In spite of the fact that New York's airspace has proven vulnerable to the possibility of terrorist threats using small aircraft, it's not the only vulnerable place. While reforming security in New York City's flight corridors, FAA officials must do the same on a national level. Thus, large cities which are often the favorite terrorist targets can be made less susceptible to terrorism from above.
Nonetheless, progress has certainly be made since 9/11. Yet with midterm elections looming, Americans must consider the implications of Lidle's crash. His plane didn't just make a hole in a Manhattan condominium, it blasted a hole in what were flimsy FAA regulations. Americans must carefully consider whom to elect to repair the gaps that still exist in our nation's security.
Charles Lee's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at clee@cavalierdaily.com.
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