NORTH AMERICAN AEROSPACE DEFENSE COMMAND

 

News Release

 

DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, NORTH AMERICAN AEROSPACE DEFENSE COMMAND,

250 S Peterson Blvd, Suite 116, PETERSON AFB, CO 80914-3190

 (719) 554-6889 Website: http://www.norad.mil/

 

Contact: (719) 554-6889                                                                 18 September, 2001

 

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)

 

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