Washington, Sept. 11 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ordered all planes grounded at U.S. airports, for the first time ever, after at least two planes crashed into New York's World Trade Center.
``Planes that are in the air will be landed or will land, but the ground stop now is indefinite and there are no aircraft taking off,'' said FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown. The halt began at 9:25 a.m., Brown said. International flights into the U.S. were diverted to other countries, FAA spokesman William Shumann said.
UAL Corp., the second-largest carrier, said it stopped flights worldwide. Planes crashed into the Trade Center's twin towers, causing fire and explosions and the collapse of both buildings. President George Bush said it was an ``apparent terrorist attack.''
Blasts rocked the buildings about 9 a.m. New York time after the planes crashed into the building. One later exploded, spewing flames and black smoke and prompting the evacuation of the buildings. That explosion was followed by one at the Pentagon.
The FAA wouldn't immediately confirm any more details about the air crashes. The takeoff halt is ``a measure we took because we thought it was prudent,'' Brown said.
