“Give me a first-tier ground stop!” — FAA Manager Ben Sliney. This order closes all airspace within the authority of New York Center

“A second plane has hit the second tower. America is under attack.” — White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card to President George W. Bush

This just in. You are looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center, and we have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. CNN Center right now is just beginning to work on this story, obviously calling our sources and trying to figure out exactly what happened, but clearly something relatively devastating happening this morning there on the south end of the island of Manhattan. That is once again, a picture of one of the towers of the World Trade Center. — Carol Lin, CNN

Pat Carroll: WCBS news time, 8:48, it’s traffic and weather together sponsored by Henry Miller’s Theatre. Tom Kaminski, Chopper 880.
Tom Kaminski: Alright uh, Pat, we are just currently getting a look…at the World Trade Center, We have something that has happened here at the World Trade Center. We noticed flame and an awful lot of smoke from one of the towers of the World Trade Center. We are just coming up on this scene, this is easily three-quarters of the way up…we are…this is…whatever has occurred has just occurred, uh, within minutes and, uh, we are trying to determine exactly what that is. But currently we have a lot of smoke at the top of the towers of the World Trade Center, we will keep you posted.

— WCBS AM Traffic Reporter Tom Kaminski

Battalion 1 Chief: “Battalion 1 to Manhattan.”

Manhattan Dispatch: “Battalion 1, k.”

Battalion 1 Chief: “We just had a plane crash into the upper floor of the World Trade Center. Transmit a 2nd Alarm and start re-located companies into the area.”

Manhattan Dispatch: “10-4 [message received], Battalion 1.”

— New York City Fire Department Battalion 1 Chief Joseph Pfeiffer

“Something is wrong. We are in a rapid descent… we are all over the place.” — Flight Attendant Amy Sweeney, American Airlines Flight 11

“[…]ah we heard a suspicious transmission on our departure out of Boston ah with someone ah, ah sound like someone sound like someone keyed the mike and said ah ‘everyone ah stay in your seats'” — Response from United Airlines Flight 175 when asked by air traffic controllers if they know anything about American Flight 11

“Nobody move please. We are going back to the airport. Don’t try to make any stupid moves.” — Transmission from Flight 11

“Eh….. We have some planes. Just stay quiet, and you’ll be okay. We are returning to the airport.” — Mohammad Atta, Hijacker of Flight 11