at the first instance

[CaseyA]

Flight 1549 - From New York to Norad, Testing a Response Network - NYTimes.com

“The only reason T.S.A. was created was to stop terror attacks in transportation,” the official said. “Unless you’re moving at the first instance you hear of something, it’s too late in the aviation context.”

Do "at the first instance" mean the same thing as "in the first instance"?

[BobK]

Yes - that is, it's what that speaker meant. The normal preposition is 'in'. S/he was probably starting to say 'at the first moment', remembered s/he was on TV (or wherever), and thought it best to use a $10 word;

b