contact a nearby military base to make the request.The Command Center told
Cleveland that FAA personnel well above them in the chain of command had
to make the decision to seek military assistance and were working on the issue.
161
Between 9:34 and 9:38, the Cleveland controller observed United 93 climb-
ing to 40,700 feet and immediately moved several aircraft out its way.The con-
troller continued to try to contact United 93, and asked whether the pilot could
confirm that he had been hijacked.
162
There was no response.
Then, at 9:39, a fourth radio transmission was heard from United 93:
Ziad Jarrah:
Uh, this is the captain.Would like you all to remain seated.
There is a bomb on board and are going back to the airport, and to
have our demands [unintelligible]. Please remain quiet.
The controller responded: "United 93, understand you have a bomb on
board. Go ahead." The flight did not respond.
163
From 9:34 to 10:08, a Command Center facility manager provided frequent
updates to Acting Deputy Administrator Monte Belger and other executives at
FAA headquarters as United 93 headed toward Washington, D.C. At 9:41,
Cleveland Center lost United 93's transponder signal. The controller located
it on primary radar, matched its position with visual sightings from other air-
craft, and tracked the flight as it turned east, then south.
164
At 9:42, the Command Center learned from news reports that a plane had
struck the Pentagon.The Command Center's national operations manager, Ben
Sliney, ordered all FAA facilities to instruct all aircraft to land at the nearest
airport.This was an unprecedented order.The air traffic control system han-
dled it with great skill, as about 4,500 commercial and general aviation aircraft
soon landed without incident.
165
At 9:46 the Command Center updated FAA headquarters that United 93
was now "twenty-nine minutes out of Washington, D.C."
At 9:49, 13 minutes after Cleveland Center had asked about getting mili-
tary help, the Command Center suggested that someone at headquarters should
decide whether to request military assistance:
FAA Headquarters:
They're pulling Jeff away to go talk about United
93.
Command Center:
Uh, do we want to think, uh, about scrambling
aircraft?
FAA Headquarters:
Oh, God, I don't know.
Command Center:
Uh, that's a decision somebody's gonna have to
make probably in the next ten minutes.
FAA Headquarters:
Uh, ya know everybody just left the room.
166
At 9:53, FAA headquarters informed the Command Center that the deputy
director for air traffic services was talking to Monte Belger about scrambling
"WE HAVE SOME PLANES"
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