A preliminary chronology developed by the Air Force of events surrounding the crash Monday of a Learjet who passengers included professional golfer Payne Stewart. Material in quotations is verbatim from the chronology. All times are EDT.
9:09 a.m. -- Plane leaves Orlando, Fla.10:08 a.m. -- "FAA requested emergency escort." F-16 from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was airborne on routine mission when diverted to provide the initial escort.
10:52 a.m. -- "Aircraft jumped to 44,000." (Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said the plane was "porpoising," fluctuating between 22,000 and 51,000 feet. This may be because it was on auto pilot.)
11:00 a.m. -- "Emergency track has five souls on board. Still no contact."
11:14 a.m. -- Responsibility for escorting plane is transferred from Southeast Air Defense sector to Western Air Defense sector.
11:25 a.m. -- "Lear 35 tail number N47BA."
11:44 a.m. -- Escort fighter from Eglin heads to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., for refueling.
11:59 a.m. -- FAA reports that four F-16s from Tulsa, Okla., and a refueling tanker (KC-135) are ready to help escort. (Bacon said these F-16s never got closer than 100 miles to the Learjet).
12:03 p.m. -- Northeast Air Defense sector scrambles two F-16s from Fargo, N.D. (Bacon said an AWACS radar plane on an exercise north of Chicago was diverted to provide additional radar coverage in the event the plane crossed into Canada.)
12:13 p.m. -- Learjet estimated to have one hour of fuel remaining. "Flight path on 320 (degrees) heading over mostly sparsely populated area."
12:16 p.m. -- "Northeast Air Defense sector reports aircraft will run out of fuel in vicinity of Pierre, S.D."
12:50 p.m. -- "Second set of jets scrambles from Fargo."
12:54 p.m. -- Fargo fighters intercept Learjet.
1 p.m. -- F-16s report that Learjet's windows are fogged with ice. "No flight control movement noted. Fargo F-16s 30 minutes fuel remaining."
1:13 p.m. -- Second set of Fargo F-16s put on alert. (Bacon said they were armed.)
1:14 p.m. -- Western Air Defense sector reports Learjet "beginning to spiral."
1:16 p.m. -- Learjet "spiraling through clouds at 4520N, 09855W."
1:20 p.m. -- "Contact lost."
1:24 p.m. -- Report of "possible field on fire. Two farmers on the ground investigating."
1:35 p.m. -- Western Air Defense sector reports crash at 1714Z (1:14 p.m. EDT) at 4524N, 0984W, five to 10 miles south of Mina, S.D., in swampland.
1:36 p.m. -- Tulsa F-16s return to base.