at 8:38 am, the federal aviation administration (faa) in boston, massachusetts, reported a possible hijacking and called the otis air national guard base control tower on cape cod, home to the massachusetts ang's 102d fighter wing, to request military assistance. at that time, major dan nash and lieutenant colonel tim duffy had air defense alert duty for the 102d. at 8:40 am colonel bob marr, a massachusetts air national guardsman serving as norad's northeast air defense sector commander, learned from the faa that american airlines flight 11 might have been hijacked. the two pilots immediately suited up and headed for their f-15s. marr ordered nash and duffy into the air; their f-15s were airborne within six minutes and as directed, headed for new york city, 153 miles away. unknown to the pilots, american airlines flight 11 had crashed into the north tower of the world trade center in new york city just as colonel marr was delivering his order. meanwhile, at 8:43 am, the faa reported another possible hijacking to the northeast air defense sector. that was boston to los angeles united airlines flight 175. at 9:02 am, with the f-15s still 71 miles away, that plane crashed into the world trade center's south tower.