Back to 9/11: NORAD Interceptors Could Have Still Played an Important Role Even without Shoot-down Orders

This article reminds me of something I've long thought:

"According to a Boston Globe article, when intercepting aircraft, NORAD practices a graduated response. The approaching fighter doesn't immediately shoot down the bogey: It can first rock its wingtips to attract attention, or make a pass in front of the plane, or fire tracer rounds in its path. So even though on 9/11, the NORAD pilots working the first three airliners didn't have shootdown authority (they got it only after the Pentagon was hit), they would or should have been ready to try these other techniques, which might well have spooked or forced the hijackers into turning, which might have given the fighters a chance to force them out to sea. And even if the hijackers decided instead to fly right into a fighter in their way, wouldn't an airburst have killed fewer people than two collapsed flaming skyscrapers did?"

Seems like a good point to me.

On the other hand, on 9/11 it was almost as if there was a concerted effort to prevent NORAD interceptors from reaching the hijacked planes so they could even attempt these basic maneuvers.