going to head that way or you may want to talk to your operation wrshz. >> then 17 minutes after american airlines flight 11 slams into the world trade center's north tower at 9:03 a.m. united 175 hits the south tower. >> we were about 60 miles from kennedy. probably about, you know, 80 miles or so from manhattan. that's when they told me the second aircraft just hit the world trade center. obviously some confusion in my cockpit. i thought i was still chasing american flight 11, and then there was a second aircraft, which i didn't even know about. i looked up right away, and i could see the smoke coming out of both towers. as i saw the towers burning, two airliners. we're obviously under attack. >> in the new york air traffic control center, mike mccormick, too realizes the united states is under assault from the air. >> we have to do something to remove the weapons. the weapons, of course, are the