Transcript American Airlines Flight 11

Published: October 16, 2001

Following is a transcript of the radio communications between air traffic controller at Logan International Airport [46R] in Boston and several jetliners identified by their call signs on the morning of Sept. 11. Among the jetliners were American Airlines Flight 11 (AAL11) and United Air Lines Flight 175 (UAL175), which took off from Logan and then were crashed into the World Trade Center. The transcripts were obtained by The New York Times.

8:08:54 -- 46R: FDX3258, Roger, uh, fly heading 180 maintain mach 80 or less.

8:09:02 -- FDX3258: 180 Roger and, uh, for the heading, uh, is mach 8 or less 3258.

8:09:10 -- 46R: FDX3601, Maintain mach 80 or greater.

8:09:12 -- FDX3601: Mach 80 or greater, FDX3601 heavy.

8:09:17 -- AAL11: Boston center, good morning, AAL11 with you paassing through 190 for 230.

8:09:22 -- 46R: AAL11, Boston center, roger, climb and maintain FL280.

8:09:25 -- AAL11: 280 AAL11.

8:09:28 -- 46R: FDX3258, you're recleared direct to, uh, Barnes.

8:09:34 -- FDX3258: Direct to Barnes, FDX3258.

8:09:52 -- 46R: DAL544, Contact Boston center 125.57.

8:09:56 -- DAL544: 2557 for Boston, DAL544, Good day.

8:10:04 -- DAL1149: Boston, DAL1149, Leveling at 310.

8:10:06 -- 46R: DAL1149 Boston center, roger.

8:10:13 -- 46R: AAL11 Climb, maintain FL290.

8:10:16 -- AAL11: 290 AAL11.

8:10:37 -- 46R: FDX3258 Cleared direct biggo.

8:10:41 -- FDX3258: Direct biggo, thank you, FDX3258.

8:10:47 -- 46R: FDX3258, your traffic you're going to be following is 12 o'clock and about, uh, 10 miles also southbound with company, company jet.

8:10:54 -- FDX3258: Uh, where's that traffic, sir?

8:10:56 -- 46R: Eight o'clock and about 10 miles same direction also at 350 company.

8:11:01 -- FDX3258: O.K., thanks.

8:11:27 -- 46R: FDX3601, contact Boston Center 125.57.

8:11:34 -- FDX3601: 2557 FDX3601 heavy.

8:11:58 -- 46R: AAL11, your traffic is at, uh, 2 o'clock 20 miles southwest-bound MD80 310.

8:12:04 -- AAL11: AAL11, roger.

8:12:16 -- 46R: FDX3258, you're cleared direct Sparta.

8:12:19 -- FDX3258: Direct Sparta FDX3258 heavy.

8:13:02 -- 46R: FDX3258 contact Boston Center 125.57.

8:13:07 -- FDX3258: 12557, thank you, FDX3258.

8:13:08 -- 46R: Good day.

8:13:29 -- 46R: AAL11, turn 20 degrees right.

8:13:31 -- AAL11: 20 right AAL11.

8:13:47 -- 46R: AAL11, now climb maintain FL350.

8:13:57 -- 46R: AAL11, climb maintain FL350.

8:14:08 -- 46R: AAL11, Boston.

8:14:19 -- 46R: ER 7ML, how do you hear.

8:14:20 -- N7ML: ML has you loud and clear.

8:14:23 -- 46R: AAL11, Boston.

8:14:33 -- 46R: AAL, One, one, ah, the American on the frequency, how do you hear me.

8:14:45 -- 38R: This is, uh, Athens.

46R: This is Boston, I turned American 20 left and I was going to climb him. He will not respond to me now at all.

38R: Look's like he's turning right.

46R: Yea I turned him 20 right.

38R: Oh, O.K.

46R: And he's only going to, um, I think 29.

38R: O.K.

46R: Unreadable.

38R: Sure that's fine.

46R: Eh but I'm not talking to him.

38R: He won't answer you. He's nordo roger thanks.

8:15:07 -- 46R: N7ML descend at pilots discretion maintain FL(?)

8:15:11 -- N7ML: PDM 240, we'll begin down (unreadable) 7 ML.

8:15:13 -- 46R: AAL11, Boston.

8:15:22 -- 46R: AAL, if you hear Boston center, ident.

8:15:37 -- COA683: Boston COA683 is flight level 210 climb 230.

8:15:41 -- 46R: COA683, Boston center, roger, climb, maintain FL310.

8:15:45 -- COA683: Climb, maintain FL310.

8:15:49 -- 46R: AAL11, if you hear Boston center, ident please or acknowledge.

8:16:32 -- 46R: AAL11, if you hear Boston center, re contact Boston center on 127.82, that's AAL12782.

8:17:05 -- 46R: AAL11, AAL one one, Boston.

8:17:19 -- 46R: DAL1149, contact Boston center 125.57.

8:17:23 -- DAL1149: 1149, 2557 good day.

8:17:56 -- 46R: AAL11, if you can hear Boston center, ident please.

8:18:01 -- Flex jet: Boston center, flex jet 420 checking in passing 18 for 230.

8:18:04 -- 46R: Flex jet 420, Boston center, roger, climb, maintain FL240.

8:18:12 -- Flex420: Climbing to 240 flex jet 420.

8:18:31 -- 46R: 7ML, contact Boston center 128.2.

8:18:36 -- N7ML: 28 point2 07ML, thanks.

8:18:56 -- 46R: AAL11, Boston.

8:20:07 -- 46R: AAL11, AAL one one, do you hear the center?

8:20:29 -- 46R: This is, uh, Boston.

Radar controller: point out NWA157.

46R: NWA157 is point out, approved.

Radar Controller: Thank you R.T.

8:21:46 -- 46R: Flex jet 420, say air speed.

8:21:49 -- Flex420: Ah, increasing airspeed now, passing through point, ah, 68.

8:21:52 -- 46R: Roger indicated.

8:21:57 -- Flex420: 290.

8:21:59 -- 46R: Flex420, maintain, ah, what are you going to increase to?

8:22:02 -- Flex420: 320.

8:22:03 -- 46R: Thank you.

8:22:06 -- 46R: COA683, contact Boston center 125.57.

8:22:09 -- COA683: 2557 COA683, see ya.

8:22:13 -- DAL351: DAL351 leaving 15.4 for 230.

8:22:20 -- 46R: DAL351, Boston, uh, center, roger, climb, maintain FL350.

8:22:23 -- DAL351: Climbing now to 350, DAL351.

8:22:27 -- 46R: AAL11, Boston.

8:23:01 -- UAL175: Boston, morning, UAL175 out of 19 for 230.

8:23:06 -- 46R: UAL175, Boston, uh, Center, roger.

8:24:32 -- 46R: Is that AAL11 trying to call.

8:24:38 -- Unknown: (Unreadable) We have some planes. Just stay quiet, and you'll be O.K. We are returning to the airport.

8:24:46 -- 46R: And, uh, who's trying to call me here?

8:24:53 -- 46R: AAL11, are you trying to call?

8:24:57 -- Unknown: Nobody move, everything will be O.K. If you try to make any moves, you'll endanger yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet.

8:26:03 -- 46R: DAL351, Boston center on 125.57.

8:26:08 -- DAL351: 2557, DAL351.

8:26:21 -- 46R: Flexjet 420, Boston center 125.57.

8:26:24 -- Flex420: 12557 flex jet 420, so long.

8:27:20 -- 46R: UAL175, contact the, um, Boston center on 133.42.

8:27:27 -- UAL175: O.K. 3342, UAL175, so long.

8:29:08 -- Radar controller: Hello.

46R: Go ahead.

Radar controller: Ya point out there northwest of Bradley BTA4042 be a few minutes so I can get em down.

46R: Point out approved.

Radar Controller: W E

8:33:59 -- Unknown: Nobody move please; we are going back to the airport. Don't try to make any stupid moves.