On September 11, 2001, a coordinated terrorist plot unfolded across the United States, resulting in the deadliest day in American history. Nineteen al‑Qaeda operatives entered the country on tourist visas, enrolled in flight schools, and seized four Boeing aircraft, using knives, mace and the threat of bombs to take control.
Early morning movements
5:45 a.m.: Hijackers Mohamed Atta and Abdul Aziz al‑Omari cleared security at Portland International Airport, Maine, and boarded a commuter flight to Boston Logan International Airport.
6:45 a.m.: Atta, al‑Omari, Satam al‑Suqami, Wail al‑Shehri and Waleed al‑Shehri boarded American Airlines Flight 11. In a separate terminal, Marwan al‑Shehhi, Fayez Ahmed, Mohand al‑Shehri, Ahmed al‑Ghamdi and Hamza al‑Ghamdi boarded United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 piloted by Capt. Victor Saracini and First Officer Michael Horrocks.
7:15 a.m.: Khalid al‑Mihdhar and Majed Moqed checked in for Flight 77 at Dulles International Airport; the aircraft was a Boeing 757 piloted by Capt. Charles F. Burlingame and First Officer David Charlebois.
7:35 a.m.: Hani Hanjour and brothers Nawaf and Salem al‑Hazmi arrived at the same Dulles ticket counter.
First hijackings
7:59 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 11 departed Boston for Los Angeles with 76 passengers, 11 crew members and five hijackers. Capt. John Ogonowski and First Officer Thomas McGuinnes were at the controls.
8:14 a.m.: Hijackers seized Flight 11 over Massachusetts, using knives, mace and a bomb threat.
8:15 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 175 left Boston for Los Angeles with 51 passengers, nine crew members and five hijackers.
8:19 a.m.: Flight attendant Betty Ann Ong called ground personnel from Flight 11, reporting that the cockpit was inaccessible and that two flight attendants had been stabbed. The call came shortly after hijacker Mohamed Atta stabbed passenger Daniel Lewin, who is believed to be the first victim of the day.
8:20 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 took off from Dulles for Los Angeles with 58 passengers and six crew members; the hijacking occurred during take‑off.
First impacts
8:46 a.m.: Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and hundreds inside the tower.
8:51 a.m.: Hijackers seized Flight 175.
9:03 a.m.: Flight 175 struck the South Tower, prompting a massive police and fire response.
9:37 a.m.: Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon, killing all 64 aboard and 125 military and civilian personnel on the ground.
Presidential response
8:50 a.m.: President George W. Bush was visiting Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. He was informed of the North Tower crash but was told it appeared to be an accident.
9:05 a.m.: While remaining in the classroom, Bush was whispered to by Chief of Staff Andrew Card that a second plane had hit the second tower and that America was under attack. Bush stayed seated, allowing the children to finish reading before moving to a secure location.
9:30 a.m.: From the Sarasota school, President Bush delivered a televised address, calling the attacks a “national tragedy” and confirming communication with Vice President Dick Cheney, New York Governor George Pataki and FBI Director Robert Mueller.
9:54 a.m.: Air Force One departed Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, heading back to Washington, D.C., with the President and his advisers.
Grounded aviation and evacuations
9:42 a.m.: The Federal Aviation Administration ordered all civilian flights in U.S. airspace to be grounded.
9:45 a.m.: Evacuations began at the U.S. Capitol, where both houses were in session.
South Tower collapse
9:59 a.m.: The South Tower collapsed after burning for 56 minutes, killing more than 800 people and sealing the nation’s grief.
The events of September 11, 2001, remain a solemn reminder of the bravery of first responders, the resilience of American families, and the need for vigilant defense of our nation’s freedoms.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
