The audio files and transcripts appear on the Rutgers Law Review website and were first reported on Thursday by The New York Times.
The discussion topics begin with early reports of hijackings and include the scrambling of fighter jets.
In one excerpt, someone in a New York radar control center says: “Another one just hit the building.”
Someone responds: “Oh my God.”
And then: “Another one just hit it hard. ... Another one just hit the World Trade.”
It’s followed by: “The whole building just, ah, came apart.”
Someone utters again: “Oh my God.”
The audio compilation was made as part of the 9/11 Commission investigation into al-Qaida’s attacks, but was not completed before the commission shut down in 2004. Much of the audio and its transcripts have been made public before in hearings, lawsuits and various government reports.
The dean of the Rutgers Law School, John Farmer, was a lawyer for the 9/11 Commission and published many of the transcripts in his 2009 book, “The Ground Truth.” Farmer and Rutgers law school students helped finish reviewing and transcribing the final files.
The recordings show the confusion that reigned among military commanders and air traffic controllers after the hijackers turned off their aircraft transponders, making it difficult for radar to track them.
The military learned about the hijacking of American 11 nine minutes before it crashed into the World Trade Center, and was never notified about the other hijackings before those planes.
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).
03:50
HIJACKED AIRPLANES
American 11
American 77
United 175
United 93
