John Wayne joins other closed airports

Paul Clinton

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- Following an order from the Federal Aviation

Administration, airport managers put John Wayne into lock-down mode

Tuesday morning along with the rest of the nation’s airports.

No flights were permitted to use the airfield to arrive or depart

after a series of terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.

The FAA ordered the “ground stop” at 6:49 a.m. and airport officials

responded, John Wayne spokeswoman Yolanda Perez said.

“We have physically closed down the terminal,” Perez said, shortly

after the FAA order. “The building is secured.”

Early Tuesday, terrorists hijacked four flights -- two planes each

from United and American airlines -- and crashed one into each of the

twin World Trade Center buildings in New York City and one into the

Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed about 80 miles outside of Pittsburgh.

Three of the flights -- American Flight 11, American Flight 77 and

United Flight 175 -- were headed to Los Angeles International Airport.

The flights had 94, 64 and 65 passengers, respectively. Perez said she

did not know if any of them had scheduled connections to Orange County.

As of press time, the airlines had not released passenger lists from

the flights. American Airlines was referring media inquiries to the FBI.

A United Airlines spokeswoman said the airline was busy contacting family

members of the victims.

The airport lock down was the first in the history of the nation’s

air-travel network, causing the diversion of domestic flights already

airborne to other hub airports.

United was also busing some passengers from those airports to their

homes, said Whitney Staley, a spokeswoman for the airline.

Airline officials were sent to the scene of the crash in Shanksville,

Pa., and also to New York City, according to a company news release.

“United wants to do all it can for passengers, employees and their

loved ones at this terrible time for our nation,” said James E. Goodwin,

the company’s chief executive. “We have mobilized all our resources to

work with the authorities, including the FBI and other government

agencies.”

Passengers who boarded planes at John Wayne in the morning were

ordered off, sent to claim their baggage and leave the airport.

Lt. John Kidwell, the commander of the Coast Guard cutter Narwhal in

Corona del Mar, was standing in line at the check-in line to board a

flight to El Paso, Texas.

Kidwell returned to the ship and recalled his crew, after Coast Guard

brass ordered a “Condition Charlie” red alert.

“We’re making preparations,” Kidwell said. “We’re going to protect the

coast as best we can.”