All I know is we had a lot of briefings in the Air Force about how to avoid not being able to scramble planes soon enough. So the word from my commanders is we didn't get the planes up in time.
I encourage you to read about it. I've read the 911 commission report, along with the 911 report 'critique' where they point out every inconcistency in the story.
I've read and re-read the transcripts, the flight path, the comunications according to FAA testimony, etc.
They changed websites, they destroyed tapes, they pointed fingers, they lost phone records.
Dude, the story stinks from top to bottom. Aside from WTC7, the inability to shoot down planes with an hours notice is inexcusable. It was NOT incompetence and everyone tried to blame. There are outright lies which were caught under oath, which no one pursued. NORAD knew for 45 minutes after being told by the FAA, and they did nothing for those 45 minutes. The FAA proved they called them at 8:21. NORAD told us they didn't know anything until after 9 am. NO ONE made them accountable for this MAJOR ommission