FRANTIC CALLS FOR MISSING PLANE

Excerpts from a conversation between an air traffic controller at the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center in Ronkonkoma, New York — shown here as R42 — and several jetliners shown by their call signs.

Speakers USA429, 583: US Airways flights DAL1489, 1043: Delta flights ZBW IGN: Controller in Boston R10: Controller at unknown location Text 8:49:50 USA429: USA429 leveling at 350. 8:49:51 R42: USA429 New York center roger. 8:50:14 Unknown: Anybody know what that

smoke is in Lower Manhattan? 8:50:17 R42: I’m sorry, say again. 8:50:19 Unknown: A lot of smoke in Lower

Manhattan. 8:50:22 R42: A lot of smoke in Lower Manhattan. 8:50:24 Unknown: Coming out of the top of the

World Trade Center building, a major fire. 8:50:47 R42: And which was the one that just

saw the major fire? 8:50:52 DAL1489: This is DAL 1489 we see lower Manhattan, looks like the World Trade Center on fire but it’s hard to tell from here. 8:51:02 R42: DAL1489 roger. 8:51:11 DAL1489: Let us know if you hear any

news down there. 8:51:15 R42: Roger. 8:51:32 R42: DAL1043 cleared direct PTW. 8:51:35 DAL1043: Direct PTW DAL 1043. 8:51:43 R42: UAL175 recycle transponder

squawk code 1470.

8:51:53 R42: UAL175 New York.

8:52:09 R42: UAL175, do you read New York. 8:52:14 R42: DAL1489 do you read New York? 8:52:16 DAL1489: DAL1489 go ahead. 8:52:20 R42: O.K., just wanted to make sure you were reading New York — United — United 175, do you read New York?

8:52:30 R42: IGN on the 93 line K. 8:52:46 R42: IGN on the 93 line East Texas. 8:52:52 ZBW IGN: IGN.

8:52:53 R42: Do me a favor, see if UAL175 went

back to your frequency.

8:52:58 ZBW IGN: UAL 175.

8:53:01 R42: Yes.

8:53:14 ZBW IGN: He’s not here, East Texas. 8:53:23 R42: 10 — Do you see that UAL175 anywhere? And do me a favor, you see that target there on 3321 code at 335 climbing, don’t know who he is, but you got that USA 583 if you need to descent him down, you can, nobody. We may have a hijack. We have some problems over here right now.

8:53:35 R10: Oh, you do.

8:53:37 R42: Yes, that may be real traffic, nobody knows. I can’t get a hold of UAL175 at all right now, and I don’t know where he went to. 8:53:51 R42: UAL 175 New York. 8:54:00 USA 583: New York 583. 8:54:04 R42: USA583 go ahead. 8:54:10 USA583: Yes, getting reports over the radio of a commuter hitting the World Trade Center is that nordo (no radio) 76 still in the air.