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