controller at 8:53, saying that "we may have a hijack" and that he could not
find the aircraft.
125
Another commercial aircraft in the vicinity then radioed in with "reports
over the radio of a commuter plane hitting the World Trade Center."The con-
troller spent the next several minutes handing off the other flights on his scope
to other controllers and moving aircraft out of the way of the unidentified air-
craft (believed to be United 175) as it moved southwest and then turned
northeast toward New York City.
126
At about 8:55, the controller in charge notified a New York Center man-
ager that she believed United 175 had also been hijacked.The manager tried
to notify the regional managers and was told that they were discussing a
hijacked aircraft (presumably American 11) and refused to be disturbed.At 8:58,
the New York Center controller searching for United 175 told another New
York controller "we might have a hijack over here, two of them."
127
Between 9:01 and 9:02, a manager from New York Center told the Com-
mand Center in Herndon:
Manager, New York Center:
We have several situations going on here. It's
escalating big, big time.We need to get the military involved with us. . . .
We're, we're involved with something else, we have other aircraft that
may have a similar situation going on here.
128
The "other aircraft" referred to by New York Center was United 175. Evi-
dence indicates that this conversation was the only notice received by either
FAA headquarters or the Herndon Command Center prior to the second crash
that there had been a second hijacking.
While the Command Center was told about this "other aircraft" at 9:01,
New York Center contacted New York terminal approach control and asked
for help in locating United 175.
Terminal:
I got somebody who keeps coasting but it looks like he's going
into one of the small airports down there.
Center:
Hold on a second. I'm trying to bring him up here and get
you--There he is right there. Hold on.
Terminal:
Got him just out of 9,500--9,000 now.
Center:
Do you know who he is?
Terminal:
We're just, we just we don't know who he is.We're just pick-
ing him up now.
Center (at 9:02):
Alright. Heads up man, it looks like another one com-
ing in.
129
The controllers observed the plane in a rapid descent; the radar data termi-
nated over Lower Manhattan. At 9:03, United 175 crashed into the South
Tower.
130
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THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT
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