White House plans to release plane flyover report, photo

By Gideon Swift | Published: May 6, 2009

The White House indicated Wednesday that a report and a photo from the controversial low-altitude New York flyover by a 747 plane used as Air Force One could be released soon.

Earlier, White House officials had said that there were no plans to release photos to the public.

But the tone seemed to change on Wednesday.

“The report, I believe, will be concluded at some point this week. We’ll release its findings and release a photo,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said during his daily press briefing.

The review, led by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, will focus on “why that decision was made and to ensure that it never happens again,” Gibbs said.

The flyover, officials said, was a training mission — it was also a classified government-sanctioned photo shoot.

Military officials also estimate that the mission and the photo shoot, aimed at updating file photos of Air Force One — cost $328,835 in taxpayer money.

But they said “the hours would have been flown regardless, and the expenses would have been accrued on a different mission.”

The photo shoot, which President Obama said he was “furious” with, happened on April 27. The image of a low-flying plane accompanied by an F-16 fighter jet sent some New Yorkers into the streets and into a panic — reminding them of the tragic 9/11 attacks on the city.