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18 September, 2001

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NORAD’S Response Times

PETERSON AFB, Colo. --The following timelines show NORAD’s response to the airliner hijackings on September 11, 2001.

* All times are Eastern Daylight Time; NEADS = North East Air Defense Sector, NORAD

** Scramble = Order to get an aircraft airborne as soon as possible

***Estimated = loss of radar contact

**** Flight times are calculated at 9 miles per minute or .9 Mach

***** The FAA and NEADS established a line of open communication discussing AA Flt 77 and UA Flt 93

American Airlines Flight 11 – Boston enroute to Los Angeles

FAA Notification to NEADS                                                                                                            0840*

Fighter Scramble Order (Otis Air National Guard Base, Falmouth, Mass. Two F-15s)         0846**

Fighters Airborne                                                                                                                                0852

Airline Impact Time (World Trade Center 1)                                                                                   0846 (estimated)***

Fighter Time/Distance from Airline Impact Location                                                                     Aircraft not airborne/153 miles

United Airlines Flight 175 – Boston enroute to Los Angeles

FAA Notification to NEADS                                                                                                            0843

Fighter Scramble  Order (Otis ANGB, Falmouth, Mass. Same 2 F-15s as Flight 11)              0846

Fighters Airborne                                                                                                                                0852

Airline Impact Time (World Trade Center 2)                                                                                   0902 (estimated)

Fighter Time/Distance from Airline Impact Location                                                                     approx 8 min****/71 miles

American Flight 77 –Dulles enroute to Los Angeles

FAA Notification to NEADS                                                                                                            0924

Fighter Scramble  Order (Langley AFB, Hampton, Va. 2 F-16s)                                                 0924

Fighters Airborne                                                                                                                                0930

Airline Impact Time (Pentagon)                                                                                                         0937(estimated)

Fighter Time/Distance from Airline Impact Location                                                                     approx 12 min/105 miles

United Flight 93 – Newark to San Francisco

FAA Notification to NEADS                                                                                                            N/A *****

Fighter Scramble  Order (Langley F-16s already airborne for AA Flt 77)

Fighters Airborne (Langley F-16 CAP remains in place to protect DC)

Airline Impact Time (Pennsylvania)                                                                                                  1003 (estimated)

Fighter Time/Distance from Airline Impact Location                                                                     approx 11 min/100 miles

(from DC F-16 CAP)