9/11: Why Weren't U.S. Fighters Scrambled? (tags)
Let's look at some possible intercept times... An F-15 strike eagle flies at 1850 nmps. That is Mach 2.5 . This aircraft, according to the USAF's own website, goes from "scramble order" to 29000 feet in 2.5 minutes. New York City is 71 miles from McGuire AFB in NJ . At Mach 2, this plane could travel from the ground in NJ to NYC, in under 7 minutes.