In the moments before news of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks broke, New Jersey 101.5's Jim Gearhart was on the air with a caller, discussing education. Then listeners heard the first breaking news of a plane hitting the World Trade Center.

The following audio is what was heard on New Jersey 101.5

Jim Gearhart in 2001
Jim Gearhart in 2001 (Townsquare Media NJ)
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Segment 1: "It appears that an airplane has struck one of the towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan."

Segment 2: "You can see smoke pouring out of the World Trade Center."

Segment 3: "I saw the second plane go into the second tower. It has to be on purpose."

Segment 4: "100% not an accident...the weather is absolutely clear."

Segment 5: "Isn't this obviously a terrorist attack? Isn't this an act of war?"

Segment 6: "We are in a lockdown situation. Any artery between New York City and New Jersey has been completely shut down."

Eric Scott in 2001
Eric Scott in 2001 (Townsquare Media NJ)
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Segment 7: "We have many people who would like to respond to this. Unfortunately at this point we're not sure know what it is we are responding to. People are shocked and very angry."

Segment 8: "We simply know there has been a fourth explosion"

Segment 9: "If you saw the movie "Independence Day" when the Empire State Building was hit and all that flame and debris and smoke rolled through the canyons of Manhattan that's what this looks like.."

Segment 10: "There are no towers there. They're totally gone."

Segment 11: "All international flights en route to the U.S. have now been diverted...to Canada."

Joe Cutter in 2001
Joe Cutter in 2001 (Townsquare Media NJ)
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Segment 12: "I'm not in the Reserves no more man but if they needed to call me back up to fight whoever did this I would go in a heartbeat."

Segment 13: "They're evacuating lower Manhattan...whatever way they could across the river and into Jersey City."


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