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February 28, 2008
'Thousands of Aliens' in U.S. Flight Schools Illegally
9/11 Redux: 'Thousands of Aliens' in U.S. Flight Schools Illegally
Thousands of foreign student pilots have been able to enroll and obtain pilot licenses from U.S. flight schools, despite tough laws passed in the wake of the 9/ll attacks, according to internal government documents obtained by ABC News.
"Some of the very same conditions that allowed the 9-11 tragedy to happen in the first place are still very much in existence today," wrote one regional security official to his boss at the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration.
"Thousands of aliens, some of whom may very well pose a threat to this country, are taking flight lessons, being granted FAA certifications and are flying planes," wrote the TSA official, Richard A. Horn, in 2005, complaining that the students did not have the proper visas.
Under the new laws, American flight schools are only supposed to provide pilot training to foreign students who have been given a background check by the TSA and have a specific type of visa.
But in thousands of cases that has not happened, according to the documents and current and former government officials involved in the program.
"TSA's enforcement is basically nonexistent," said former FAA inspector Bill McNease, in an interview for ABC News' "World News With Charles Gibson."
McNease, who retired last year, says in one year alone, 2005, he found some 8,000 foreign students in the FAA database who got their pilot licenses without ever being approved by the TSA.
"And a flight school wants the money to teach 'em. And they are gonna teach 'em how to fly and get their ratings, and then they just slip through the cracks," McNease said.
In another internal e-mail obtained by ABC News, Monty Thompson, an official in the TSA Flight School Inspections section, complained in 2005 to his bosses in Washington, "I fear we are 'danger close' to losing sight of the mission and the intent of the 'Flight School Security' provisions."
The new laws were passed after it was learned that all of the 9/ll hijackers, including ringleader Mohammed Atta, who were involved in flight operations had trained at U.S. flight schools with improper visas.
The FAA and Homeland Security are now starting to crack down on a number of flight schools suspected of training students illegally.
Just last month, agents raided a flight school outside San Diego, Anglo-American Aviation International, as part of an investigation of alleged fraud and misuse of visas.
A lawyer for the school said the raid only involved a technical, paper-work issue and that the school was "cooperating" in the investigation.
But federal officials say the so-called paper-work is extremely important.
"What happened in 9/ll we don't want to happen again or anything like that so something has to be done," said McNease.
No one from the TSA or Homeland Security would agree to be interviewed for this story, but officials said they were preparing an official statement in response.
The Department of Homeland Security would not provide an official from the flight school program to be interviewed for this story.
In a statement, the DHS said, "We have a high degree of confidence that our layered security measures, both seen and unseen, have raised the level of security in our aviation sector."
The statement did not address the issue of the thousands of students who have received pilot training and licenses with improper visas, other than to say they "are only one of the multiple layers of security" that the government relies on to "ensure that foreign nationals approved for flight training do not pose a threat to U.S. aviation security." The DHS said it conducts security threat assessments "on all non-U.S. citizens seeking flight training."
You can read a letter from Aviation Safety Inspector Edward H. Blount on foreign students in U.S. flight schools.
Wild Thing's comment........
Have we forgotten?? Apparently so!
There is no excuse for this. I am so sick of this incompetence. Staggering incompetence combined with a denial of the threat we face. ....a suicidal combo.
Posted by Wild Thing at February 28, 2008 02:50 AM
Comments
Oh holy jumping jehosaphat! Can't these flight schools do anything right? You wonder if they're even teaching future pilots correctly?
I would say if you're a foreigner and you want to be in a flight school, there has to be at least a 6 month or longer wait period so we can check your credentials.
We wanna make sure you ain't no terrorist, now.
I'm sorry if it sounds like racial profiling, but unfortunately, that's been pushed on us and we're going to have to start doing that. And judges are going to have to be more open minded when some illegal sues because he didn't get into flight school.
Posted by: Lynn at February 28, 2008 04:44 AM
This administration seems to favor the economics of illegal aliens to the safety of America. Syrian, Algerian, Egyptian, Saudi students are allowed into the US in increasing numbers, because they pay big bucks for education and instruction at the various schools and institutions. DID THEY EVER FIND ALL THE Egyptian students that spread out and disappeared while supposedly on their way to college in Montana?
After 9-11, all people from the Middle East should have been profiled and heavily restricted in gaining visas. Instead, Sec of Transportation Pineta showed how understanding we are by not allowing profiling. The bad guys are laughing at us.
Posted by: TomR at February 28, 2008 04:57 AM
Remember the word NATIONALISM? Similar to PATRIOTISM and HEROISM?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at February 28, 2008 05:13 AM
It seems it is harder to get through the paperwork to buy a gun in this country than it is to get into the cockpit of an airplane. We make it so easy for the bad guys to win. Geez.
Posted by: PeteSuj at February 28, 2008 06:42 AM
PetSuj, you're so right.
How come the government isn't closing down these flight schools? How many more innocent people have to die before those who've sworn an oath to protect this nation do their jobs?
Posted by: BobF at February 28, 2008 07:22 AM
WTFriggin'H?!
Thousands of Arab Kamikaze wannabees, roaming our fair Country. Makes me feel all warm and snuggly.
Note to Plane Snatchers: Stay the Hell off my flight. I have an appointment and I shall not be pleased to be delayed by creating carcasses.
Hmmmpf. Guess I told them.
Wollf
Posted by: howlsatmoon at February 28, 2008 12:48 PM
This is outrageous. The story should be shared by email and blogs to as many people as possible until fliers start questioning the airlines how safe their flights may be. It may take a negative hit on the airline industry until something is finally done to fix this problem and protect the country.
Obama, Clinton, and McCain are all current Senators. What have they done fix this problem? "Nothing" doesn't qualify them to be President.
Posted by: Les at February 28, 2008 07:32 PM
Lynn I agree, there needs to be some kind of profiling done for sure.
This is beyond words stupid that it is even a problem after what happened on 9-11.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 29, 2008 12:27 AM
Tom, I think they must be laughing at us too, I agree.
One of my nephews is a pilot for private planes for a company and when the company gets a new plane or a different plane he goes for extra training at one of the Flight Schools. He is out of town right now but when he gets back I want to ask him about this and see if he has noticed things happening as well.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 29, 2008 12:31 AM
Darth that's it!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 29, 2008 12:35 AM
PeteSuj, good point your so right. Thanks.
This is shocking to see this happening and there truly are no excuses for it period.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 29, 2008 12:40 AM
Wollf.... Ditto that!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 29, 2008 12:41 AM
Les I agree I hope other blogs are posting about this too. Or even like you said emails sending the link to the story would be a good idea too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 29, 2008 12:45 AM
Bob that is the thing too, how many are they closing down because of this and will they do what it takes to make flights safe.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 29, 2008 12:47 AM
