No pilot comes forward on spotting Bush's plane
From Dana Bash
CNN Political Unit
Tuesday, December 2, 2003 Posted: 10:54 AM EST (1554 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One of the most suspenseful moments told of President Bush's covert Thanksgiving trip -- that a British Airways pilot spotted Air Force One as it secretly made its way to Baghdad -- has not been confirmed by any BA captains in the air that day.
A British Airways spokeswoman says none of its pilots has yet reported seeing or contacting anyone by radio about Air Force One.
According to a pool report from aboard Air Force One, reporters were told a British Airways pilot spotted the president's plane and radioed, "Did I just see Air Force One?"
Then, according to the report, after some silence, the official said the president's pilot, Col. Mark Tillman, responded "Gulfstream 5," a much smaller aircraft than Air Force One.
After a long silence, the British Airways pilot, seeming to get that he was in on a secret, said, "Oh."
British Airways says none of its hundreds of pilots flying that day has said he made contact with Air Force One or anyone else during the president's covert Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad.
"Only two British Airways flights were in the Mideast at the time," Honor Verrier, a spokeswoman for the airline, said Monday. "We spoke with the two captains. Neither made comments to Air Force One, nor did they hear any other aircraft do so over the radio."
When asked if the exchange could have happened somewhere else en route to Baghdad, Verrier said that while other pilots were not asked if they were the pilot the White House talked about, none has come forward.
A White House official now says the story the president's pilot told was of an exchange between the British Airways plane and the control tower, about Air Force One, and there was no direct contact with Mr. Bush's plane directly.
Claire Buchan, White House spokeman, says she did not know where the tower was contacted during the 11-hour trip.
The story was told as an example of the suspense and secrecy of the trip, which the president said was essential to keep under wraps. He said he was prepared to abort the journey if anyone found out.
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