Air Force One was reported as going down in the vicinity of Indio, California, which is approximately 120 miles due southeast of Los Angeles. Also, telemetry showed Air Force One on a southwesterly course before disappearing from radar. But when Audrey told Jack about the "nuclear football", she said it was 40 miles northeast of Los Angeles, "in the desert". Drawing a line 40 miles northeast of Downtown L.A. would mark a location in the vicinity of the Crystal Lake Recreation Area, in the San Gabriel Mountains, due north of Asuza, and not in a desert. Also, it would be impossible for debris from a plane to be thrown that far off-course. It would've been more logical to say the "football" was somewhere north of the Salton Sea.
Since the nuclear football is a very critical and crucial possession of the government, CTU should've have sent more agents and a tactical team to assist in its recovery.