Top Secret $328,000 Photo: NYC Air Force Shot Won't Be Released
White House says no need to release controversial image; Review to come.
May 5, 2009— -- The White House is keeping a tight grip on photos from last week's botched Air Force One promotional photo op over Lower Manhattan.
At a press briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodged reporters' questions about last week's photo-op, which cost over $328,000 in taxpayer dollars and frightened a broad swath of lower Manhattan, site of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center towers.
"I've watched CNN. . . I didn't notice a lack of archival material from that flight," Gibbs cracked, an apparent reference to the prevalence of shaky video shot last week by witnesses on the ground.
Gibbs said the White House anticipates completing a review of the incident this week, but did not answer questions about why it would not release the pictures or when it might do so.
A White House spokesman said this is not a new decision and the plan not to release the photo has remained the same since news of the incident broke last week.
The Air Force referred all questions on the matter to the White House.
The White House Military Office had reportedly organized the event, but made no arrangements to alert Manhattanites that a large plane would fly very close to their tall buildings. As a result, many fled the area at the sight of the plane, believing it could be another 9/11-style attack.
Defense Department Photo Shoot
The Department of Defense photo shoot involved a Boeing 747 used as Air Force One and one fighter jet flying at low altitude in the area around Ground Zero.
Residents and workers in Lower Manhattan and New Jersey, unaware of the photo op, ran into the streets, traumatized by memories of 9-11 and afraid of another attack. Emergency offices in both cities were inundated with hundreds of frightened calls. "It scared a couple of million people," one airport official said.
President Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had not been told about the photo op, were both infuriated by the incident.
Bloomberg called it "ill-conceived" and a "waste of taxpayers' money." A White House official told ABC News that President Obama was "furious" when he found out, and the Director of the White House Military Office, Louis Caldera, who approved the photo op, was called into a meeting with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina.
"It didn't sound like a fun meeting," the White House official said.
Caldera Apologized for Plane Photo Op
Later, Caldera apologized in a statement, saying, "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."
At a photo op last week with FBI Director Robert Mueller, President Obama said, "It was a mistake, as was stated. It was something we found out about along with all of you. And it will not happen again." The President did not answer a follow-up question on whether or not Caldera is the right man for the job.
Later, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that President Obama ordered that Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina conduct an internal review, which will take a couple of weeks to complete.
"The President will look at that review and take any appropriate steps after that," Gibbs said.
Click here to watch Bloomberg and Gibbs speak about the flyover.
Officials Say System Broke Down
Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.
Bloomberg said he was so furious he wasn't told about the photo op, that before he talked further to his own staff and agencies about the lack of notice to him, he wanted "to calm down."
"Poor judgment would have been a nice way to put it," Bloomberg said of the government flyover.
A New York City employee was disciplined for failing to pass on the FAA fly over information when it arrived on the employee's desk at City Hall.
According to city officials the employee was "reprimanded" and a "letter was placed in his file."
No information was immediately available on what if any discipline was meted out at the NYPD, where a second FAA notice was received last Thursday.
Eyewitness Accounts
Click here to look at photos sent in by ABCNews.com readers.
Eyewitnesses told ABCNews.com that they were "shocked" and "running scared" when the planes flew overhead.
Elena Zaccario, who works at an office building near Battery Park, said she was too startled to grab her camera until the planes' third fly-by.
"Needless to say, everyone was concerned and upset about not being notified like in previous 'military fly-overs,"" she said. "Other offices on other floors fled the building in panic. Not acceptable!"
Click here to hear some of the 911 calls released.
Back Up Presidential Plane
According to officials, the flight -- authorized by the FAA -- came in as low as 1000 feet to 150 feet above the city as it made a large circle over Manhattan, Staten Island, and New Jersey. The plane used was the back-up presidential plane.
Self-evacuations of buildings in lower Manhattan and New Jersey, including the New York Mercantile Exchange, took place during the fly over.
According to multiple agencies, they were notified of the flyover last week, however the general public was not notified.
The Defense Department conducted the photo opportunity over the Hudson River. The planes flew over Lower Manhattan and in the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty during a 15 minute, pre-planned flight.