The September 11 Attacks

The September 11 Attacks

Samantha C. Sharou, Staff Writer

 Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Depending on how much time you have left you run down the steps, trying to escape the flames, trying to get out. It’s getting harder to breathe and even getting harder just to think. The day, 9/11, all you wanted was to work, just go to work, and go back home, maybe back to your kids, your husband/wife, your pets, your family. So close to the exit, then it all turns dark. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. It was 9:59 am. It was 10:28 am. 

On September 11, 2001 -better known as 9/11- the Twin Towers fell down on the city of Manhattan, New York. What had caused this horrific disaster was at 8:46 AM, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower, between floors 93 and 99. There were a total of 76 passengers, 5 hijackers, and 11 crew members. While the pilots and 2 other crew members had been stabbed by the hijackers, Betty Ong, one of the crew members, called the American Airlines Reservation, which was then transferred to Raleigh North Carolina. When it was picked up, she immediately alerted the people on the other end about the situation. Ong was the first-ever person to alert 911 about the hijackers. As well as Betty Ong, Amy Sweeney, another flight attendant, made calls as well. Her call went towards the American Airlines flight service manager, Michael Woodward, giving information about where the hijackers sat on the plane.

United States Airlines flight 175, carrying 9 crew, 60 passengers, and 5 hijackers hit the South tower at 9:03 AM.  Leaving the gate at 7:58 AM, the plane started its route toward Los Angeles. At 8:47, the flight went off course, making a left turn. After 12 more minutes, the plane made another sharp left turn, heading straight for the south tower. After hitting the tower, making it crash down, a total of 614 people were killed by the south tower.

At first, boarding the flight, both passengers, crew, and pilots thought they were headed to Los Angeles. At about 8:50, 4 minutes after, Flight 77 was hijacked over southern Ohio, redirecting towards the southwest. There were 58 passengers, 6 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board. At 9:33 AM the plane slowly turned, making its way towards the Pentagon. As 9:37 came, Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, killing 187 people in total. Soon after, a memorial was made for the people who died at the Pentagon. Stones that face the pentagon are for the people who were on the plane, looking at the pentagon as they crashed into it. The stones facing the opposite direction, away from the pentagon, are the people that were inside the building, looking out at the plane.

The last plane hijacked was United Airlines flight 93. At 8:00 AM, the flight departed with 33 passengers, 7 crew members, and 4 hijackers. An important person on this flight, Todd Beamer, was someone who helped to try to bring the plane back into control and fight the hijackers. Without his help, it is believed that the situation could’ve been worse and more lives could’ve been lost. Beamer, while on a call with Lisa Jefferson, who was a phone supervisor, heard his plan of fighting back against the hijackers with some other passengers. Not hanging up the phone, Jefferson listened closely, trying to hear anything that could tell her what was happening, until finally, the line disconnected. At 563 miles per hour, flight 93 crashed into an empty field at 10:03 AM, exploding in the end.

4 planes; 2,997 killed; 19 hijackers; over 6,000 injured; This was 9/11. A tragedy; A disaster; A new realization; A change in the world forever. The deaths of friends, loved ones, co-workers, everyone, scared everyone for life. This tragedy still lives on in their hearts. They’ll never forget it. We’ll never forget it. No one must ever forget it. Remember 9/11.