Today in history 9-11

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2011
Sept 11
Attack on America

At approximately 8:46 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 carrying about 10,000 gallons of jet fuel, crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact tears a gaping hole across floors 93 through 99 of the 110-story skyscraper, killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more on the floors above.

As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcast live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 17 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767—United Airlines Flight 175—appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center and sliced into the South Tower between the 77th and 85th floors. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack.

The hijackers were 19 al Qaeda terrorists, 15 of whom were from Saudi Arabia. The others were from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon. The attacks were orchestrated by al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, who cited America's support of Israel, its military involvement in the Middle East and its continued military presence in Saudi Arabia among his grievances against the United States. Some of the terrorists had lived in the United States for more than a year and had taken flying lessons at American flight schools. Others had slipped into the U.S. in the months before September 11 and acted as the "muscle" in the operation.

On September 11, the terrorists easily smuggled box cutters and knives through security at three East Coast airports and boarded four flights bound for California, chosen because the planes were loaded with fuel for the long transcontinental journey. Soon after takeoff, the hijackers commandeered the four planes and took the controls, transforming the passenger jets into guided missiles.

The hijackers were 19 al Qaeda terrorists, 15 of whom were from Saudi Arabia. The others were from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon. The attacks were orchestrated by al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, who cited America's support of Israel, its military involvement in the Middle East and its continued military presence in Saudi Arabia among his grievances against the United States. Some of the terrorists had lived in the United States for more than a year and had taken flying lessons at American flight schools. Others had slipped into the U.S. in the months before September 11 and acted as the "muscle" in the operation.

On September 11, the terrorists easily smuggled box cutters and knives through security at three East Coast airports and boarded four flights bound for California, chosen because the planes were loaded with fuel for the long transcontinental journey. Soon after takeoff, the hijackers commandeered the four planes and took the controls, transforming the passenger jets into guided missiles.

Meanwhile, a fourth California-bound plane—United Airlines Flight 93—was hijacked about 40 minutes after leaving Newark International Airport in New Jersey. Because the plane had been delayed before takeoff, passengers and crew members on board learned of events in New York and Washington via Airfone and cellphone calls to the ground. After learning what had happened to the other hijacked planes, passengers and surviving crew members planned to fight back. One of the passengers, Thomas Burnett Jr., told his wife over the phone that "I know we're all going to die. There's three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey." Another passenger—Todd Beamer—was heard saying "Are you guys ready? Let's roll" over an open line. Sandy Bradshaw, a flight attendant, called her husband and explained that she had slipped into a galley and was filling pitchers with boiling water to use against the hijackers. Her last words to him were "Everyone's running to first class. I've got to go. Bye."

The passengers and crew members fought the four hijackers and are believed to have tried to breach the cockpit using a fire extinguisher. The plane then rolled onto its back and plunged toward the ground at more than 500 mph, crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m. All 44 people aboard were killed. The hijackers' intended target was likely either the U.S. Capitol or the White House in Washington, D.C.