I applaud the New York Times and their interactive page they’ve titled The Story in the Air.
9:01 AM 0 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 AM 0 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.
I strongly suggest you take the time to check this page out.
10 years later, it’s still riveting, stomach churning, horrific.
