On September 13, 2001, retired Tampa cop turned private investigator Dan Grossi escorted Saudi students to the airport for a flight out of the U.S. “As far as private planes were concerned, America was still grounded. Then one of the pilots arrived. ‘Here’s your plane,’ he told Grossi. ‘Whenever you’re ready to go.’ …[Grossi] waited until three young Saudi men…arrived….They departed for Lexington [Kentucky] at about four-thirty…’Flight restrictions had not been lifted yet,’ Grossi said. ‘I was told it would take White House approval. I thought (the flight) was not going to happen.’ …According to the Federal Aviation Administration…the Tampa flight never took place…The White House also said that the flights to evacuate the Saudis did not take place. According to Grossi, about one hour and forty-five minutes after takeoff they landed at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.”
– Craig Unger, House of Bush, House of Saud, Pages 8-10