The 9/11 Tapes: The Story in the Air
Since 09-11-11
|
A selection of
audio recordings from the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.),
North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) and American
Airlines from the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. The recordings, some of
which have been published previously, are being released in a
multimedia report originally intended to be part of the Sept. 11
Commission’s 2004 report.
Read Related Article »
Select a clip from the menu on the left-hand side. The transcript will automatically scroll as the audio is played. Note: Some audio contains explicit language and disturbing content.
8:13 AM2 minutes, 57 seconds
A Boston-sector F.A.A. controller, Peter Zalewski, makes several failed attempts to reach American Airlines Flight 11.
Boston
American 11,
climb maintain level three five zero.
Boston
American 11 climb
maintain level three five zero.
Boston
American 11,
Boston.
Boston
[inaudible] …Mike
Lima how do you hear?
Mike Lima
Mike Lima has you
loud and clear.
Boston
American 11,
Boston.
Boston
American one-one,
the American on the frequency, how do you hear
me?
Athens Sector
This is Athens.
Boston
This is Boston, I
turned American 20 left and I was going to climb
him, he will not respond to me now.. at all.
Athens Sector
Looks like he’s
turning right.
Boston
Yeah, I turned
him 20 right.
Athens Sector
Oh, O.K.
Boston
And he’s only
going to, I think, 29.
Athens Sector
O.K.
Boston
Well.
Athens Sector
Sure, that’s
fine.
Boston
But I’m not
talking to him.
Athens Sector
He won’t answer
you. He’s NORDO (no radio contact), roger.
Thanks.
Boston
…[inaudible] Mike
Lima, descend at pilot’s discretion and maintain
flight level two-four-zero.
Mike Lima
…Two-four-zero,
will begin now, Mike Lima.
Boston
American 11,
Boston.
Boston
American 11, if
you hear Boston Center, ident...
Boston
(Boston
communicates with another flight.)
Other Flight
Boston 683.
Flight level two-one-zero, climb to
two-three-zero.
Boston
[Inaudible] 683,
Boston Center, roger. Climb maintain level
three-one-zero.
Other Flight
Climb maintain
three-one-zero.
Boston
American 11 if
you hear Boston Center ident please, or
acknowledge.
Boston
(43 seconds of
silence.)
Boston
American 11, if
you hear Boston Center recontact Boston Center
on one-two-seven-point-eight-two, that’s
American 11, one-two-seven-eight-two.
8:19 AM4 minutes, 2 seconds
Betty Ong, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles, speaks to American Airlines reservations agents at its Southeastern Reservations Office in Cary, N.C., and Nydia Gonzalez, an operations agent, using a seatback Airfone from the back of the plane.
Betty Ong
Number 3 in the
back. Um, the cockpit’s not answering.
Somebody’s stabbed in business class, and um I
think there is Mace that we can’t breathe. I
don’t know, I think we’re getting hijacked.
Aal
Which flight are
you on?
Betty Ong
Flight 12.
Aal
And what seat are
you in? [Silence] Ma’am, are you there?
Betty Ong
Yes.
Aal
What seat are you
in? [pause] Ma’am, what seat are you in?
Betty Ong
We just left
Boston, we’re up in the air.
Aal
I know.
Betty Ong
We’re supposed to
go to L.A. and the cockpit’s not answering their
phone ...
Aal
O.K., but what
seat are you sitting in? What’s the number of
your seat?
Betty Ong
O.K. I'm in the
jump seat right now. That’s 3R.
Aal
O.K., are you the
flight attendant? I'm sorry, did you say you're
the flight attendant?
Betty Ong
Hello?
Aal
Hello, what is
your name?
Betty Ong
Hi, you're gonna
have to speak up. I can't hear you.
Aal
What is your
name?
Betty Ong
O.K., my name is
Betty Ong. I'm Number 3 on Flight 11.
Aal
O.K.
Betty Ong
And the cockpit
is not answering their phone and there's
somebody stabbed in business class and there’s,
we can't breathe in business class. Somebody's
got Mace or something.
Aal
Can you describe
the person, that you said someone is what in
business class?
Betty Ong
I’m, I’m sitting
in the back, somebody’s coming back from
business. If you can hold on for one second,
they’re coming back. [Inaudible] Anyone know who
stabbed who?
Background
[Inaudible] I
don’t know, but Karen and Bobby got stabbed.
Betty Ong
Our, our Number 1
got stabbed. Our purser is stabbed. Ah, nobody
knows who stabbed who and we can't even get up
to business class right now because nobody can
breathe. Our Number 1 is, is stabbed right now.
And our Number 5. Our first-class passenger
that, ah first ah class galley flight attendant
and our purser has been stabbed and we can't get
to the cockpit, the door won't open. Hello?
Aal
Yeah, I'm taking
it down, all the information. We're also, you
know, of course, recording this. Uhm, at this
point?
Nydia Gonzalez
This is
operations. What flight number are we talking
about?
Aal
Flight 12.
Nydia Gonzalez
Flight 12, O.K.
Betty Ong
No, we're on
Flight 11 right now. This is Flight 11.
Aal
This is Flight
11. I'm sorry, Nadine.
Betty Ong
Boston to Los
Angeles.
Aal
Yes.
Betty Ong
Our Number 1 has
been stabbed, and our 5 has been stabbed. Can
anybody get up to the cockpit? Can anybody get
up to the cockpit? We can't even get into the
cockpit. We don't know who's up there.
Aal
Well if they were
shrewd, they would keep the door closed, and..
Betty Ong
I’m sorry?
Aal
Would they not
maintain a sterile cockpit?
Betty Ong
I think the guys
are up there. They might have gone there —
jammed their way up there, or something. Nobody
can call the cockpit. We can't even get inside.
(Silence)
Betty Ong
Is anybody still
there?
Aal
Yes, we're still
here.
Betty Ong
O.K. I'm staying
on the line as well.
Aal
O.K.
Nydia Gonzalez
Hi, who is
calling reservations? Is this one of the flight
attendants, or who? Who are you, hon?
Aal
She gave her name
as Betty Ong.
Betty Ong
Yeah, I'm Number
3. I'm Number 3 on this flight, and we're the
first —
Nydia Gonzalez
You're Number 3
on this flight?
Betty Ong
Yes and I have...
Nydia Gonzalez
And this is
Flight 11? From where to where?
Betty Ong
Flight 11.
Nydia Gonzalez
Have you guys
called anyone else?
Betty Ong
No. Somebody's
calling medical and we can't get a doc...
8:21 AM4 minutes, 25 seconds
An American Airlines operations specialist, Nydia Gonzalez, relays her conversation with Betty Ong, a flight attendant on board American 11 who reports that attendants and pilots have been stabbed.
Aal
American Airlines
Emergency line, please state your emergency.
Nydia Gonzalez
Hey, this is
Nydia at American Airlines calling, I am
monitoring a call in which Flight 11, the flight
attendant is advising our reps that the pilot,
everyone’s been stabbed.
Aal
Flight 11?
Nydia Gonzalez
Yeah.
Nydia Gonzalez
They can’t get
into the cockpit is what I’m hearing.
Aal
O.K. Who is this
I’m talking to?
Nydia Gonzalez
Excuse me, this
is Nydia at American Airlines at the Raleigh
Reservation Center, I’m the operations
specialist on duty.
Aal
I’m sorry what
was your name again?
Nydia Gonzalez
Nydia.
Aal
Nydia, and what’s
your last name?
Nydia Gonzalez
Gonzalez,
G-O-N-Z-A-L-E-Z.
Aal
Raleigh
Reservations, O.K.
Nydia Gonzalez
I’ve got the
flight attendant on the line with one of our
agents.
Aal
O.K., and she’s
calling how?
Nydia Gonzalez
Through
reservations, I can go out on the line and ask
the flight attendant questions.
Aal
O.K., uh, uh, I’m
assuming they’ve declared an emergency, let me
get A.T.C. on here, stand by.
Nydia Gonzalez
Gotten any
contact with anybody? [to Betty Ong] I’m on
still with security, O.K., Betty? You are doing
a great job just stay calm, O.K.? We are,
absolutely …
Aal
O.K., we’re
contacting the flight crew now, we’re all, we’re
also contacting A.T.C.
Nydia Gonzalez
O.K.
Aal
Anything else
from this flight attendant?
Nydia Gonzalez
Uh, so far what
I’ve gotten, the number five flight attendant’s
been stabbed, but she seems to be breathing, the
number one seems to be stabbed pretty badly,
she’s lying down on the floor, they don’t know
if she is conscious or not. The other flight
attendants are in the back, uh, and that’s as
far as I know. It seems like the passengers in
coach might not be aware of what’s going on
right now.
Aal
These two
passengers were from first class?
Nydia Gonzalez
O.K., I’d l ..
Hey, Betty? Do you know any information as far
as the (inaudible) of the men there in the
cockpit with the pilots? Were they from first
class? They were sitting in 2 A and B. They are
in the cockpit with the pilots.
Aal
Who’s helping
them? Is there a doctor on board?
Nydia Gonzalez
Is there a doctor
on board, Betty, that's assisting you guys? You
don't have any doctors on board. O.K. So you've
gotten all the first-class passengers out of
first class?
Aal
Have they taken
everyone out of first class?
Nydia Gonzalez
Yeah, she's just
saying that they have. They're in coach. What's
going on, honey? O.K., the aircraft is erratic
again. Flying very erratically. She did say that
all the first-class passengers have been moved
back to coach, so the first-class cabin is
empty. What's going on on your end, Craig?
Aal
We contacted Air
Traffic Control, they are going to handle this
as a confirmed hijacking, so they're moving all
the traffic out of this aircraft's way.
Nydia Gonzalez
O.K.
Aal
He turned his
transponder off, so we don't have a definitive
altitude for him. We're just going by — they
seem to think that they have him on a primary
radar. They seem to think that he is descending.
Nydia Gonzalez
O.K.
Aal
O.K., Nydia?
Nydia Gonzalez
Yes dear, I'm
here.
Aal
O.K., I have a
dispatcher currently taking the current fuel on
board.
Nydia Gonzalez
Uh, huh.
Aal
And we're going
to run some profiles.
Nydia Gonzalez
O.K.
Aal
To see exactly
what his endurance is.
Nydia Gonzalez
O.K.
Aal
Did she —
Nydia Gonzalez
She doesn't have
any idea who the other passenger might be in
first. Apparently they might have spread
something so it's, it’s um — they're having a
hard time breathing or getting in that area.
Nydia Gonzalez
What's going on,
Betty? Betty, talk to me. Betty, are you there?
Betty? [Inaudible] Do you think we lost her?
O.K., so we'll like - we'll stay open. We - I
think we might have lost her.
Aal
O.K.
8:24 AM0 minute, 38 seconds
A Boston F.A.A. controller hears an American 11 hijacker saying “We have some planes,” and “We are returning to the airport.”
Boston
Is that American
11 trying to call?
Mohamed Atta
[Inaudible] We
have some planes. Just stay quiet and we’ll be
O.K. We are returning to the airport.
Boston
And, uh, who’s
trying to call me, here?
Boston
American 11 are
you trying to call?
Mohamed Atta
Nobody move,
everything will be O.K. If you try to make any
moves, you will injure yourself and the
airplane. Just stay quiet.
8:37 AM0 minute, 26 seconds
An Air traffic controller named Joseph Cooper at F.A.A.’s Boston Center calls Sgt. Jeremy W. Powell of North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad)’s Northeast sector (NEADS), alerting them of a suspected hijacking of American 11.
Sergeant Powell
Huntress weapons,
Sergeant Powell.
Cooper
Hi, Boston
Center, T.M.U. (traffic management unit), we
have ah a problem here, we have a hijacked
aircraft headed towards New — New York and we
need you guys to, we need someone to scramble
some F-16s or something up there to help us out.
Sergeant Powell
Is, Is this real
world or exercise?
Cooper
No, this is not
an exercise, not a test.
Sergeant Powell
O.K., hey, ah
hold on one second, O.K.? .
Cooper
Yes.
Sergeant Powell
Hey, hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey, seriously, [indistinct] big
time [indistinct].
8:38 AM2 minutes, 41 seconds
Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) identification technicians (ID Tech) Stacia Rountree, Shelley Watson and Maureen Dooley try to find out from the F.A.A. in Boston where American 11 is headed, but no one knows for sure. Responding to the call is Colin Scoggins, the military operations specialist in Boston.
ID Tech 1
What?
ID Tech 2
What was that?
Background
Is that real
world?
Dooley
Real world
hijacking.
Watson
Cool. Where is
it?
Watson
Boston?
Watson
Open line
Scoggins
Boston, military
desk.
Watson
Yeah, Huntress
calling, ah, in reference to the hijacked
aircraft.
Scoggins
Yes.
Watson
We’re checking to
get some information from you, if we could.
Scoggins
O.K., what would,
what do you need?
Watson
We need call
sign, type aircraft.
Scoggins
It’s ah American
11.
Watson
American 11?
Scoggins
Type aircraft is
a, uh, 767.
Watson
And, number of
souls on board, do you know that?
Scoggins
Uh, I don’t,
know, hold on. Hey Dan, do we got souls on
board, and all that information?
Scoggins
No. We don’t have
any of that information.
Watson
You don’t have
any of that? O.K.
Scoggins
We know the
position, about 40 miles north of Kennedy.
Watson
Forty miles north
of Kennedy?
Scoggins
Right.
Watson
Do you have a
mode three (tracking information from the
plane’s transponder, which the hijackers had
turned off)?
Scoggins
No we don’t, he’s
a primary target, only (they could only track it
with primary radar, which is more difficult).
Watson
Primary target
only?
Scoggins
Yeah.
Watson
O.K., And you
don’t know where he’s coming from or
destination?
Scoggins
No idea. He took
off out of Boston originally heading for ah, Los
Angeles.
Watson
Boston to Los
Angeles?
Scoggins
That was his
original destination, yeah.
Watson
And where are
they going now, do you know?
Scoggins
No idea. He’s
heading towards Kennedy, looks like his speed is
decreasing, I’m not exactly sure where, nobody
really knows.
Watson
Are you the
controlling agency? Or is New York?
Scoggins
Boston Center.
Watson
Boston Center.
Scoggins
Right now we are.
He’s headed right for New York Center.
Watson
And is there any
military assistance requested?
Scoggins
Ah, yes we’re
actually trying to get ah F-15s to ah...
Watson
(Yes you do want)
F-15s out.
Scoggins
Yeah, F15s out of
Otis.
Watson
But you don’t
have, uh, you don’t have any modes or codes on
him?
Scoggins
Uh, no, right
now, right now, it’s just ah, no we don’t have
any mode C.
Watson
Is he inbound to
J.F.K.?
Scoggins
We, we don’t
know. Heh ...
Watson
You don’t know
where he is at all?
Scoggins
He’s been
hijacked, the pilot’s having a hard time talking
to the, I mean, we don’t know, we don’t know
where he’s going, he’s heading towards Kennedy,
he’s ah, like I said he’s like 35 miles north of
Kennedy now at 367 knots.
Watson
O.K.
Scoggins
No idea where
he’s going (or what he’s, what his potential..)
Watson
If you could
please give us a call, and let us know, ah you
know any information, that would be great.
Scoggins
O.K., right now I
guess we’re trying to work on, I guess there’s
been some threats in the cockpit, ah the
pilot...
Watson
Based on what?
I’m sorry.
Scoggins
Ah. We’ll call
you right back as soon as we know more info.
Watson
Thank you.
Scoggins
Sure.
Watson
O.K.
8:40 AM0 minute, 38 seconds
A Norad commander at Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS), Sgt. Jeremy W. Powell, orders two pilots to battle stations at Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod, Mass., and shortly after ordered them to take off although they did not yet have formal approval from the defense secretary’s office, as protocol required.
Approach
Cape Approach is
on.
Tower
Tower is on.
Sergeant Powell
Giant Killer.
Sergeant Powell
This is Huntress
placing Panta four-five, four-six on battle
stations, I repeat battle stations, time
one-two-four-one (Greenwich Mean Time).
Authenticate hotel romeo, all parties
acknowledge with initials. Command Post.
Sergeant Powell
Giant Killer,
Tower.
Tower
[Indistinct.]
Sergeant Powell
Approach.
Approach
Tango Juliet and
say again the call sign.
Sergeant Powell
Panta, papa alfa
november tango alfa, four-five, four-six.
Approach
Tango Juliet.
Sergeant Powell
Juliet Papa. All
parties are cleared to drop.
8:42 AM1 minute, 12 seconds
Norad does not know where to send the fighter jets because the hijackers had turned off the plane’s transponder, making it harder to track them. Mission Crew Commander (MCC) Major Kevin Nasypany speaks to Major James Fox, who is seeking direction.
Fox
I’ve never seen
so much real world stuff happen during an
exercise.
Background
Deskins
[indistinct].
Fox
Steve, lat long,
41.
Unknown
Right.
Unknown
What was that?
Unknown
(Static)
Fox
O.K. Find this
guy.
Nasypany
Yeah, 41.
Nasypany
Yeah, we’re
putting it in.
Background
Fourteen-forty-three.
Nasypany
Fourteen-forty-three, look for it, right there,
O.K., mode three, fourteen-forty-three, last
known. No, this is real world. O.K., we’re in
the high chair.
Background
I’ve got a Z
point, sir.
Nasypany
Last known
position, that we got out this guy, was right
there at the Z point, he’s headed one-nine-zero
at 29,000 feet, heading down, so we’re looking
for somebody, you know what start hitting up
tracks all around that area, that Z point, O.K.,
just north of ah...
MCC/T
SDMCC, scramble
Otis.
Fox
Copy, say
mission.
Fox
MCC, I don’t know
where I’m scrambling these guys to. I need a
direction, ah destination.
Nasypany
O.K., I’m going
to give you the Z point, it’s just north of ah
New York City.
Fox
I got this lat
long forty-one-fifteen-seventy-four-thirty-six,
or seventy-three-forty-six:
Nasypany
Head ‘em in that
direction.
Fox
Copy that.
8:46 AM
American 11 crashes into the North Tower
8:47 AM1 minute, 11 seconds
Initial reports of a fire at the World Trade Center.
New York
Everybody copy?
Herndon Center
Say that again,
please.
Boston
We, we, looks
like we lost the primary target about 20 west of
Kennedy, and we had a report of an ELT in the
area. We’re gonna ah, guess we’ll ah, get some
Coast Guard activity up there.
Unknown
Well, we lost the
track too.
Unknown
Hey Boston, this
is New York, ah what type of aircraft was the
American?
Boston
767.
ACI Watch
This is the ACI
watch. Say again if you lost ah track of the
aircraft, over.
Boston
Boston has lost
track, on our frequency we had some threats that
it was a hijack [indistinct] the tapes.
New York
New York confirms
that we’ve lost the track as well, and we were
ah got a report of ah ELT in the area that the
track was in.
New York
Kennedy Tower
reports, are you serious? Kennedy Tower reports
that there was a fire at the World Trade Center.
And that’s ah that’s the area where we lost the
airplane.
9:01 AM0 minute, 23 seconds
With a second plane, United 175, also missing, a manager from F.A.A.’s New York Center tells the F.A.A. Command Center, in Herndon, Va., to alert the military immediately.
Mulligan
Check with your
NOM (operations manager), do you know if anyone
down there has done any coordination to scramble
fighter-type airplanes?
Bell
[indistinct].
Mulligan
No, we have
several situations going, going on here, it is
escalating big, big time, and we need to get the
military involved with us.
Bell
Why, what’s going
on?
Mulligan
Just get me
somebody who has the authority to get military
in the air, now.
Bell
Alright, I’ll go
tell ‘em.
9:02 AM0 minute, 39 seconds
The controllers observe a plane in a rapid descent, then United 175 hit the World Trade Center.
Unknown
Hey, can you look
out your window right now?
Tracon
Yeah.
Unknown
Can you, can you
see a guy at about 4,000 feet, about five east
of the airport right now, look’s like he’s ...
Tracon
Yeah, I see him.
Unknown
Do you see that
guy, look, is he descending into the building
also?
Tracon
He’s descending
really quick too, Yeah.
Unknown
Well that’s ...
Tracon
Forty five
hundred right now, he just dropped 800 feet in
like, like one, one sweep.
Unknown
That’s another
situation.
Unknown
What kind of
airplane is that, can you guys tell?
Tracon
I don’t know,
I’ll read it out in a minute.
Background
Another one just
hit the building.
Background
Wow.
Background
[indistinct] Wow.
Another one just hit it hard. Another one just
hit the World Trade.
Tracon
The whole
building just ah came apart.
Background
Oh my God.
Unknown
Holy smoke. All
right, I guess you guys are going to be busy.
Tracon
O.K.
9:03 AM
United 175 crashes into World Trade Center’s South Tower
9:06 AM0 minute, 4 seconds
F.A.A. confirms that the hijacker on American 11 said “planes,” not “plane.”
FAA
[indistinct] It’s
confirmed on that tape that they said “we have
planes.”
9:07 AM0 minute, 21 seconds
The fighter pilots, who had been sent into military airspace off the coast of Long Island, are redirected to Manhattan. Major Kevin Nasypany, is the Mission Crew Commander (MCC).
Nasypany
O.K., Foxy (Maj.
James Fox), this is what, this is what I foresee
that we probably need to do. We need to talk to
F.A.A. We need to tell ‘em if this stuff is
going to keep on going we need to take those
fighters, put ‘em over Manhattan. O.K.?
Unknown
Sir.
Nasypany
That’s the best
thing, that’s the best play right now. So,
coordinate with F.A.A., tell ‘em if there’s more
out there, which we don’t know, let’s get ‘em
over Manhattan, at least we got some kind of
play.
9:11 AM0 minute, 41 seconds
The Indianapolis Center’s Operations Manager makes contact with an American Airlines dispatcher, Jim McDonald, who confirms that AA 11 was hijacked.
American
American
Dispatch, Jim McDonald.
Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Center. Did you get a hold of American 77 by
chance?
American
No, sir, but we
have an unconfirmed report that a second
airplane hit the World Trade Center, and it’s
[indistinct].
Indianapolis
Say again.
American
You know we lost
American 11, to a hijacking, so, American was
up, ah, a Boston to Los Angeles flight.
Indianapolis
It was, all
right, I can’t really, I can’t hear what you’re
saying there . Did you say American 11?
American
Yes. We were
hijacked.
American
It was a Boston
to L.A. flight. And 77 is a Dulles-L.A. flight.
And ah we have an unconfirmed report a second
airplane just flew into the World Trade Center.
Indianapolis
[Indistinct.]
Indianapolis
Thank you very
much. Good bye.
9:21 AM1 minute, 40 seconds
Amid reports that American 11 is still airborne and headed to Washington, fighter jets from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia are told to head north, in the direction of Baltimore.
Background
O.K., third
aircraft hijacked, heading towards Washington.
No [possible aside].
Nasypany
O.K., ah,
American Airlines is still airborne, 11, the
first guy, he’s heading toward Washington. O.K.,
I think we need to scramble Langley right now
and I’m, I’m gonna take the fighters from Otis
and try to chase this guy down if I can find
him.
Nasypany
Yeah.
Nasypany
You sure?
Nasypany
O.K., he’s
heading towards Langley, or I should say
Washington. American 11, the original guy, he’s
still airborne. We’re still [indistinct] getting
a —
Nasypany
We’re getting a
position. Got a position?
Background
[indistinct] Got
a hijack real world, gotta go.
Nasypany
O.K.
Nasypany
Foxy, scramble
Langley. Head ‘em towards the Washington area.
Fox
Roger that.
Nasypany
Could be ...
American ... We’re trying to get a code on this
guy right now, we do have a tail number. It’s a
—
Nasypany
Uh ooh, we are,
it’s ah, uuuuh, what was the tail number?
Background
Panta four-five,
four-six.
Dooley
November
three-three-four alpha alpha.
Nasypany
November
three-three-four alpha alpha. If we can find
him. We, we’re getting, we’re trying to get,
we’re trying to get the modes trying to get the
position on this guy. So, [indistinct] then
we’ll run on him.
Nasypany
Yep, O.K., bye.
Background
O.K.
9:28 AM1 minute, 15 seconds
Sounds of a struggle are heard in a transmission from United 93.
Cleveland
United 93, that
traffic for you is one o’clock, 12 miles
eastbound, three-seven-zero.
UA93
Negative contact,
we’re looking, United 93.
UA93
Hey! [Hijack
begins, screaming]
Cleveland
Somebody call
Cleveland?
America 1060
Roger American ah
ten-sixty, with you we’re at three-seven-zero,
we’re slowing due to the delays if possible
going eastbound.
Cleveland
That’s American
ten-sixty?
UA93
(Screaming)
Cleveland
You got United
93?
Cleveland 2
United 93, south
of Chardon? Descended.
Cleveland
What’s that?
Cleveland 2
I just sayin’ it
looks like he descended there.
Cleveland
United 93 verify
three-five-zero.
Cleveland 2
United 93,
Cleveland.
Cleveland
Go ahead.
Cleveland 3
Do you have
United 93 south of Chardon?
Cleveland 4
We hear some
funny noises, we’re trying to get him. Do you
have him?
Cleveland 3
No.
Cleveland 4
Thank You. United
93, Cleveland.
Cleveland
United 1523, did
you hear your company, did you hear some
interference on the frequency, couple a minutes
ago, screaming.
United 1523
Yes I did, 797,
and ah we couldn’t tell what it was either.
Cleveland
OK. United 93,
Cleveland, if you hear the center, ident.
America 1060
American 1060,
ditto on the other transmissions.
Cleveland
American 1060,
you heard that also.
America 1060
Yes sir, twice.
Cleveland
Roger, we heard
that also, thanks, just wanted to confirm it
wasn’t some interference.
9:28 AM2 minutes, 25 seconds
Identification technicians (ID Tech) at Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) raise concerns that Washington is unaware of the situation. (Warning: explicit language in the clip.)
ID Tech
Hi, this is
Huntress calling, Uh, I was told to give you a
buzz for our, our Mission Crew Commander, any
information, I guess three aircraft out of
Boston are missing and apparently two of them
have hit the World Trade Center and one is en
route to Washington, did you get that
information?
Cleveland
Yeah.
ID Tech
American one-one
is not the aircraft that crashed, it is still
airborne, did you get that information?
ID Tech
That’s what we
just found out
ID Tech
We don’t know
where it is though, it’s headed towards
Washington, was the last known information.
Dooley
Washington better
get on the line. —
ID Tech
Right. And I
don’t know but somebody’s gotta get the
president going, this is not good.
Dooley
[background]
They’d better start looking for this guy.
ID Tech
Ah, yeah, we just
hung up, I’m not going to say too much right
now, but ah I wanted to give you a heads-up. Ah,
do you have any information though where
American one-one is, or anything?
Dooley
See this guy,
they, Boston is the only one giving us any kinds
of decent, freaking input.
ID Tech
Just want to,
just want to say one more thing, too, Ah,
Washington, I don’t know if they don’t think
this is serious, or not, but they are not,
unless they hear from like the centers. If you
could give them a heads-up and let them know
that this is —
ID Tech
Washington
Center, they’re not really, not at all, O.K.
sir?
Dooley
We’ve got to get
a point out on that American Airlines.
Background
We do, we’ve got
it on Langley scrambled.
Dooley
They got him?
Background
I don’t know if
he’s on him yet, but Langley is scrambled to
intercept [indistinct] and headed for Washington
[indistinct] the fighters over [indistinct].
ID Tech
[indistinct] I
just talked to them.
Dooley
And I’d have the
president airborne, where ever!
ID Tech
Boston is calling
Washington right now.
Dooley
What’s up?
ID Tech
Uh, Boston has no
clue where they are and he’s goin’ let
Washington Center know that this is very
serious.
Dooley
Good.
ID Tech
Because nobody’s
acting serious there.
Dooley
Yeah, fuckin’.
ID Tech
So.
Dooley
Hey.
Background
American airlines
headed toward D.C. [indistinct].
ID Tech
I do, I lat long.
Dooley
Hey, anybody good
at math? Take a lat last lat long and they were
doing two hundred and ninety knots.
ID Tech
Did you get the
third call sign?
Dooley
Headed towards
Washington
Dooley
The Z point that
was the American Airlines one.
Dooley
No, our first,
our first Z point, yeah, that was the American
Airlines, that was our lat long on him.
9:32 AM0 minute, 14 seconds
A hijacker on United 93 is heard saying “Keep remaining seating. We have a bomb on board.”
Ziad Jarrah
Please sit down
and keep remaining sitting, we have a bomb on
board, so —
Cleveland
Ah. Calling
Cleveland Center, you are unreadable, say again
slowly
9:32 AM3 minutes, 6 seconds
An identification technician (ID Tech) at Norad’s Northeastern headquarters (NEADS) calls the F.A.A.’s Washington Center to advise it, erroneously, that American 11 is headed its way. On the call, the F.A.A. tells the military for the first time that American 77 is also missing.
ID Tech
Open line.
ID Tech
Huntress ID
unsecure line.
Washington Center
Huntress ID, this
is Washington Center, the Operations Manager,
ah.
ID Tech
Go ahead sir.
Washington Center
O.K., I guess
you’d called here a couple of times, you never
talked to me, but if there’s anything you need,
or anything I can help you with, let me know
what it is right now please.
ID Tech
O.K., ah, do you
want me to let you know what we have going on,
sir?
Washington Center
I would, yes,
well I have a pretty good idea, but yes.
ID Tech
O.K., there are
three aircraft missing out of Boston, I just
spoke with Boston, and they said they’re not
sure of the third aircraft call sign but they do
have two, one of them is United one-seven-five.
Washington Center
Uh huh.
ID Tech
The other one is
American one-one. They thought that the American
one-one was the aircraft that crashed into the
World Trade Center with the United
one-seven-five, however, American one-one is not
the aircraft that crashed, he said the pilot on
American one-one was talking to him, having a
rough time telling him what’s going on, there
was threats in the cockpit being made, this was
the initial ah hijack information that we got,
American one-one, it’s a 767, from Boston to Los
Angeles. Proposed route he was headed towards
J.F.K. at the time that they lost contact, but
that was not the aircraft headed ah into the
World Trade Center, that hit it.
Washington Center
O.K.
ID Tech
Is what Boston’s
saying, he, the last known, and I’m not sure
where we heard it, through the grapevine, people
calling, is that American one-one was headed
toward Washington, and that’s the only thing —
Washington Center
Was headed toward
where?
ID Tech
Washington.
Washington Center
O.K.
ID Tech
So, your A.O.R.
(Area of Responsibility), and I just wanted to
give you a heads-up.
Washington Center
O.K., now,
ID Tech
The last known
lat long that we had, primary target only, was
four-zero-three-eight north,
zero-seven-four-zero-three west on American
one-one.
ID Tech
The last —
Washington Center
O.K., go ahead.
Washington Center
O.K.
ID Tech
But again,
remember nothing has been confirmed as far as
which aircraft have hit the World Trade Center,
but the other one we have is information headed
towards Washington.
Washington Center
O.K., now let me
tell you this, I, we’ve been looking, we’ve also
lost American 77.
ID Tech
American 77.
Washington Center
Excuse me?
ID Tech
Where was he
proposed to head, sir?
Dooley
American 77.
Dooley
O.K., American
77’s lost.
ID Tech
Where was he
proposed to head, sir?
Washington Center
O.K., he was
going to L.A. also.
Dooley
He was also going
to L.A.
ID Tech
He was going to
L.A.
Washington Center
Now, uh —
ID Tech
From where, sir?
Washington Center
Ah, I think he
was from Boston, also. Now —
Dooley
Boston to L.A.
Washington Center
Now let me tell
you this story here. Ah, Indy, Indianapolis
Center was working this guy.
ID Tech
What guy?
Washington Center
American 77.
ID Tech
O.K.
Washington Center
At flight level
three-five-zero, however —
Dooley
Indianapolis! [in
background].
Washington Center
They lost radar
with him, they lost contact with him, they lost
everything and they don’t have any idea where he
is or what happened. So what we’ve done at the
round surrounding Centers here is to tell
everyone to look out for limited codes, primary
targets or whatever the case may be.
ID Tech
O.K.
Washington Center
And that was the
last time, that was about fifteen minutes ago
since I talked to the Indianapolis Center ah
Operations Manager.
ID Tech
Do you have a
type aircraft sir?
Washington Center
That was a 767 I
believe
Dooley
767.
ID Tech
O.K., and ah,
right, I’ll call Indianapolis [indistinct].
Washington Center
Somebody else is
talking, I’m sorry, I can’t hear you in
background.
ID Tech
Um, all I need is
the lat long, last known position of the 767.
Washington Center
Well I don’t
know, that was Bos, that was Indy Center. But
they said somewhere, it was, last time I talked
to ‘em they said that it was east of York. And I
don’t even know what state that is.
ID Tech
Ok, sir, well I’m
going to go ahead and just give them a call.
Washington Center
O.K.
ID Tech
Thank you, sir.
Washington Center
Thanks.
9:37 AM
American 77 crashes into the Pentagon
9:38 AM0 minute, 26 seconds
A military cargo plane tells controllers at Reagan National Airport (DCA) that it has seen American 77 crash into the Pentagon.
Gofer 06
And, uh,
Washington, this is Gofer zero-six.
DCA
Gofer zero-six,
go ahead.
Gofer 06
Yes sir, that
aircraft is down, he’s in our 12 o’clock
position, ah, look’s like it’s just to the, uh,
northwest of the airfield at this time, sir.
DCA
Gofer eight-six,
thank you. Descend and maintain two thousand.
Gofer 06
OK, We are down
to two thousand. And, uh, this is Gofer zero
six, it looks like that aircraft crashed into
the Pentagon, sir.
DCA
Gofer eight-six,
Gofer zero-six, thank you.
9:39 AM0 minute, 12 seconds
Fighter pilots from Langley Air Force Base had started out east over the ocean, so a Norad commander redirects them back to Washington as fast as they can, telling them “I don’t care how many windows you break.”
Nasypany
[indistinct] If
need be. I don’t care how many windows you
break.
Unknown
Langley had them
[indistinct] in three-eighty-six.
Nasypany
Why’d they go up
there?
Unknown
Because Giant
Killer sent them out there.
Nasypany
God Damnit!
Nasypany
OK, Pat? Just
push ‘em back.
10:00 AM0 minute, 10 seconds
Another pilot in the air sees United 93 rocking its wings; it is believed the hijackers were trying to keep the onrushing passengers off balance.
Herndon Center
United 93.
FAA
Yes.
Herndon Center
Was waving his
wings as he went past the V, the VFR aircraft,
they don’t quite know what that means. Rockin’
his ring, wings.
10:03 AM
United 93 crashes at Shanksville, Pa.
10:07 AM0 minute, 45 seconds
Black Smoke is seen rising from Shanksville, Pa.
Herndon Center
O.K., there’s now
on that United 93.
FAA
Yes.
Herndon Center
There is a report
of black smoke in the last position I gave you,
fifteen miles south of Johnstown.
FAA
Uh, from the
airplane or from the ground?
Herndon Center
Uh, they’re
speculating it’s from the aircraft, ah who, it
hit the ground, that’s what they’re, that’s what
they’re speculating, that’s speculation only.
FAA
O.K. [passed in
background] We’re getting a preliminary report
that United 93 hit the ground about 15 miles
south of Johnstown, or thereabouts.
Herndon Center
How about
American 77, that report by the Indianapolis
[sic] state police, do we have any update on
that?
FAA
[background] We
have some black smoke reported near [u/i]
Shirley? [indistinct].
Herndon Center
I didn’t get that
from you, did I?
Herndon Center
[background] You
didn’t get that from me? What?
10:09 AM1 minute, 57 seconds
The fighter pilots do not know if they have permission to shoot down planes. A commander tells them they do not. (Warning: profanity at the end of the clip)
Nasypany
1527, Mode 3, do
we have a track number 2? 1527, Mode 3 we got a
track number?
Nasypany
O.K., we got a
Mode 3 on this, ah, United 93.
Nasypany
How close are
you? [Reference to unknown over the White House,
not UA 93].
Nasypany
3951 North 07846
West [From Dooley in Background].
Dooley
This is the guy
with the bomb on board.
Nasypany
Got it.
Nasypany
Toledo was, look
for him, hey I need a track number.
Nasypany
O.K., hey, Brian
[indistinct] [Captain Nagel] O.K., two Syracuse
birds will be airborne in less than 20 minutes?
Background
Near Pittsburgh,
Mode 3, 1527.
Nasypany
Any weapons?
Nasypany
We don’t know,
we’ll press with that.
Background
We have any
committed on the one, aircraft with a bomb on
it?
Nasypany
We’re getting to
it, we don’t know where it is, we’re getting
track on it.
Background
Pass that to
weapons.
Nasypany
[on phone to
Battle Cab] Yeah, O.K., Got it. [Hangs up
phone.]
Background
United nine
three, Mode 3 1527.
Nasypany
Negative,
negative clearance to shoot [In reference to
unknown over the White House].
Nasypany
Jaime?
Background
1527 Brian.
Nasypany
God damnit! Foxy?
Fox
I’m not really
worried about the code words.
Nasypany
Fuck the code
words, that’s perishable information. Negative
clearance to fire, ID, type, tail. (they are
only to identify the type and tail number of the
plane).
10:14 AM0 minute, 20 seconds
F.A.A.’s Washington Center informs Norad’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) that United 93 has crashed, 11 minutes after it happened.
Neads
I also want to
give you a heads up, Washington.
Washington
Go ahead.
Neads
United nine
three, have you got information on that yet?
Washington
Yeah, he’s down.
Neads
He’s down?
Washington
Yes.
Neads
When did he land?
Because we had confirmation —
Washington
He did not land.
Neads
Oh, he’s down,
down?
Washington
Somewhere
northeast of Camp David.
Neads
(background)
Northeast of Camp David.
Washington
That’s the last
report, they don’t know exactly where.
10:32 AM0 minute, 41 seconds
Mission Crew Commander (M.C.C.) gives the fighter pilots permission to shoot down civilian planes, an order relayed from Vice President Dick Cheney.
Voice One
You need to read
this, Region Commander has declared that we can
shoot down tracks if they are not responding to
our, uh, directions.
MCC Position
O.K, I’ll pass
that to weapons.
Voice One
O.K.
MCC Position
The Region Com,
the Region Commander has declared that we can
shoot down aircraft that do not respond to our
direction. Copy that?
Weapons
Copy that sir.
MCC Position
So if you’re
trying to divert somebody and he won’t divert
Fox
D.O. is saying
no.
MCC Position
No? It came over
the chat. Foxy, you got a conflict on that? You
got a conflict on that direction?
Fox
Right now, no,
but keep checking.
MCC Position
O.K.
Voice One
Hey
MCC Position
O.K.
Voice One
You read that
from the vice president, right? The vice
president has cleared —
MCC Position
Vice president
has cleared us to intercept tracks.
Voice One
Of interest.
MCC Position
…And shoot them
down if they do not respond, per CONR CC (Norad
Continental U.S. Command Center).