Letter 1: Elias Davidsson to American Airlines, 29 November 2005

Dear Mr. Bentel,

I was advised to contact you by Naomi Klaus of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

My request was for the names and email/telephone numbers of AA employees who personally attended the boarding/departure of AA77 from Dulles Airport on September 11, 2001. I wish to interview these people in relation with my research on the events of 9/11.

I would be most grateful for your assistance in locating these individuals

Letter 2: Reply by American Airlines to Elias Davidsson, 30 November 2005

Dear Mr. Davidsson

Ms. Klaus contacted me in relation to your request, which I misunderstood as a request for the passenger list of American Airlines’ flight 77 on 9/11/01. That information is a matter of public record and I had hoped to assist your search by providing it. The names and contact information of the employees attending the boarding and departure of the flight, however, are not public information. In the interest of protecting my colleagues’ privacy, I do not feel at liberty to disclose this information. At this point, without knowing the nature of your research, I am at a loss to know how we might further assist you.

Sincerely,
Sean Bentel
American Airlines

Letter 3: Elias Davidsson to American Airlines, 1 December 2005

Dear Sean Bentel,

Thank you for your prompt reply. I did not know that the passenger list of AA77 was a matter of public record. Could you please send me that list (that is a replica of the original passenger list).

The purpose of my research is to document in their own words the comments of AA employees who saw off the passengers board AA77.  I have not seen yet any such comments in the media and would be most interested to add their comments to the various other testimonies regarding the various flights. I hope you will be kind enough to communicate to me their names and means of contacting them.

Sincerely yours,
Elias Davidsson

Letter 4: American Airlines to Elias Davidsson, 1 December 2005

Mr. Davidsson,

The passenger list for the flight follows:
[a typed list includes 53 names, only names, one full name per line]

As for the remainder of your research, I again do not feel at liberty to disclose personal contact information in this pursuit, as a matter of respecting privacy.

Sincerely,
Sean Bentel
American Airlines

Letter 5 from Elias Davidsson to American Airlines. 1 December 2005

The list you sent to me is useless. It does not reflect the original passenger list. I would be thankful if you could send me something more authentic.

Kindly,
Elias Davidsson

Letter 6 from American Airlines to Elias Davidsson, 1 December 2005

Mr. Davidsson,

The names I sent to you are accurate. From what I see below, there may have been a formatting problem in transition. The information is in the public domain and accessible from a variety of internet resources; perhaps those would be more useful or readable on your system.

Sincerely,
Sean Bentel
American Airlines

Letter 7 from Elias Davidsson to American Airlines, 1 December 2005

Dear Sean Bentel,

I am not concerned about formatting. The email you sent contained correct adequate formatting. What I am asking is for a replica of the original passenger list (either a scan of the original, or at least a document faithfully reflecting the contents of that list). By passenger list I mean, of course, the list of the paying passengers who boarded AA77. Can I take it that the list you sent me faithfully reflects the names of the paying passengers who boarded AA77?

Thanks,

Elias Davidsson

Letter 8 from American Airlines to Elias Davidsson, 1 Decembeer 2005

Mr. Davidsson,

Names of terrorists were redacted.

Sean Bentel

Letter 9 from Elias Davidsson to American Airlines, 2 December 2005

Why can’t you send me a facsimile copy of the passenger lists, including the names of the terrorists?

Elias Davidsson

Letter 10 from American Airlines to Elias Davidsson, 2 December 2005

This is the information we have for public release.

I am glad to have been of some help to you; best wishes on the remainder of your project.

Sincerely,
Sean Bentel
American Airlines