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Benedict L. Sliney (born 1945)[2][3] is an American retired lawyer, air traffic controller, and former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Operations Manager. His first day in this position was on September 11, 2001, and he was responsible for ordering a National Ground Stop across United States airspace in response to the September 11 attacks.[4]

Benedict L. Sliney
Born	1945 (age 76–77)
Alma mater	Dowling College (BS) St. John's University School of Law (JD)
Occupation	Air traffic controller and lawyer
Known for	FAA National Operations Manager on September 11, 2001 who ordered closure of U.S. air space.
Spouse	Irene Lynch Ahern[1]

Actions on September 11, 2001

After two planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon, Sliney gave the order to land every plane in the air over the US at the time (implementing the SCATANA plan), effectively shutting down US airspace. There were roughly 4,200 aircraft in flight.[4] This was an unprecedented act, which the 9/11 Commission later denoted as an important and decisive moment in that morning's chaos. While Sliney made the decision on his own initiative, he had the advice of an experienced staff of air traffic controllers and traffic managers.^{[citation needed]}

Although it was his first day in charge, Sliney had an over-25-year background in air traffic and management in the FAA. He had held various positions as an air traffic controller, first-line supervisor at several major facilities, and Operations Manager and Traffic Management Officer at New York TRACON. He also held positions as Traffic Management Specialist, National Operations Manager, and Tactical Operations Manager at the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) and had regional office experience as Manager, Airspace and Procedures Branch, Eastern Region.^{[citation needed]}

Sliney later left the FAA to practice law.[2]^{[clarification needed]}

Personal life

Sliney is married to Irene Lynch Ahern.[1] As of 2018^[update], he is retired and lives in Sandwich, Massachusetts.[3]

Portrayals in films and television

Sliney was initially involved in the 2006 film United 93 in an advisory role. He was then cast in a small role as an air traffic controller. Later, the film's writer and director, Paul Greengrass, offered him the opportunity to play himself, which he accepted.[5] Sliney also had a small role in Greengrass's 2010 film Green Zone. He also took part in the documentary Seconds from Disaster.[6]

References

External links

• Ben Sliney at IMDb

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