Instructor: Pilot Had Poor Skills
By LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - A flight instructor said Saturday that he observed poor flying skills by a student pilot indicted last week for lying to the FBI about his association with a suspected hijacker.
"If this guy ran into a cloud he'd be dead," said the instructor, describing Faisal M. Al Salmi's ability to pilot a small plane.
Instructor Oscar Casdorph, of Tempe, Ariz., said Al Salmi hired him in April for a remedial flying course after Al Salmi flunked his initial licensing test.
While a number of those in the Sept. 11 attacks had trained at U.S. flight schools, the indictment unsealed Friday in Arizona did not say whether Al Salmi was linked to the plot.
Casdorph said in an interview that he noticed unusual behavior by Al Salmi. After Al Salmi got his private pilot's license, he requested instrument training but insisted on discussing the additional lessons at a public library, the instructor said.
There, Casdorph said, Al Salmi appeared with a second man who later turned out to be of interest to the FBI.
Al Salmi was indicted for giving false statements to the FBI about his association with Hani Hanjour, who is suspected of piloting the plane that crashed into the Pentagon.
Al Salmi denied knowing or being associated with Hanjour when, in fact, he had known Hanjour and spoke to him several times, "including at one occasion when they spoke of a mutual interest in aviation," according to the indictment.
The indictment did not say whether Al Salmi was linked to the attacks. Casdorph said he did not recognize Hanjour from FBI pictures and does not know whether the second man he met in the library had a connection to any of the hijackers.
Al Salmi said he was from Saudi Arabia, Casdorph said. Casdorph said he only knew the second man's first name, but would not disclose it, at the FBI's request.
The first hint of unusual behavior came soon after Casdorph was hired in April. Al Salmi said he did not want to use the airplanes at Sunbird Flight Services near Phoenix, where Casdorph worked.
"He was very adamant about this," said Casdorph. He refused Al Salmi's request and used the Sunbird's two-seat Cessna aircraft for training.
Al Salmi flew with Casdorph four times in April _ more than four hours in all _ and passed his test on the second try despite his poor skills, Casdorph said.
Casdorph said Al Salmi had a difficult time finding his way and landing the airplane.
The instructor said the man he met at the library also signed up for flight training and took one lesson.
Casdorph said he did not feel comfortable flying with the second man and did not return calls when the man sought additional lessons.
The instructor said he notified FBI about Al Salmi after he received a call from a former employee at Sunbird who works for a tourism air service and recognized Al Salmi's name on an FBI watch list provided to airline companies.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said Friday that Al Salmi's indictment was "a reminder that the Department of Justice will bring the full weight of the law upon those who attempt to impede or hinder this investigation."
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