Hi - I don't want to get embroilled in a conspiracy theory flame, and maybe this has been answered before, please forgive me if so - I missed it. Please correct any factual errors.

Ever since 9/11 I've wondered about the timeline, especially for Flight 77 that hit the Pentagon. The planes that hit the WTC hit at about 8:47 and 9:03. As I understand it, Flight 77's last radio contact was at 8:50 and it's transponder was lost at 8:56. It hit the Pentagon at about 9:42.

My question: since there was obviously something very wrong happening with airliners as of at the latest 9:03. Flight 77 was obviously amiss at 8:56 at the latest. Why wasn't it intercepted long before it crashed?

There most be a reasonable explanation, but I haven't been able to find one.