American Airlines Flight 11

American Airlines Flight 11

Company type	Passenger flight
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1987 (1987)
Headquarters	Boston , United States
Products	Passenger air transport

American Airlines Flight 11 was a domestic passenger service hijacked by five members of al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001. The Boeing 767-200ER aircraft was intentionally flown into the North Tower of New York City's World Trade Center, resulting in the deaths of all 92 people on board and causing more than a thousand fatalities within the upper levels of the building. This incident stands as the deadliest among the four coordinated suicide attacks that day, representing both the most fatal terrorist act and the deadliest airplane crash in recorded history. The flight was part of American Airlines' regular transcontinental route from Boston Logan International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport.

The plane took off at 07:59. Within a quarter-hour, the hijackers assaulted two flight attendants, killed a passenger, and forced their way into the cockpit, compelling passengers and crew members to move toward the rear of the cabin. Mohamed Atta, the lead hijacker, assumed control after attacking the pilots. Air traffic controllers grew concerned when communication with the crew ceased and confirmed the hijacking after an inadvertent transmission of Atta’s announcement was received. Additionally, two flight attendants relayed information about injuries to American Airlines.

At 08:46 local time, Flight 11 was deliberately crashed by Atta into floors 93 through 99 of the North Tower. The collision was widely observed and initially reported as an accident until United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower at 09:03, confirming a coordinated terrorist operation.

The impact and ensuing fires caused the North Tower to collapse at 10:28, resulting in hundreds more fatalities. Recovery teams at the World Trade Center site recovered some remains of those aboard Flight 11, although many victims were never identified.

Flight

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 767-200ER with registration , manufactured and delivered in 1987. It had seating for 158 passengers (9 in first class, 30 business class, and 119 economy) but carried 81 passengers and 11 crew members on September 11, reflecting a load factor of approximately 58%, which exceeded the usual 39% for that route on Tuesday mornings. The flight crew comprised Captain John Ogonowski (50), a former Air Force transport pilot; First Officer Thomas McGuinness Jr. (42), who previously served as a Navy fighter pilot; purser Karen Martin; along with flight attendants Barbara Arestegui, Jeffrey Collman, Sara Low, Kathleen Nicosia, Betty Ong, Jean Roger, Dianne Snyder, and Amy Sweeney.

Pilots

Role	Name	Age
Captain	John Ogonowski	50
First Officer	Thomas McGuinness Jr.	42

Cabin crew

Position	Name	Age	Jumpseat	Class of Service
1	Karen Martin	40	1L	First Class Cabin
2	Kathleen Nicosia	54	3L	Coach Class Galley
3	Betty Ong	45	3R	Coach Class Cabin
4	Dianne Snyder	42	2R	Business Class Galley
5	Barbara Arestegui	38	1R Center	First Class Galley
6	Jeffrey Collman	41	2L	Coach Class Cabin / Assist First Class Cabin If Needed
7	Sara Low	29	2R	Business Class Cabin
8	Jean Roger	24	1L Center	Business Class Cabin
9	Amy Sweeney	35	3L	Coach Class Cabin

All individuals aboard perished, including Frasier creator David Angell and his wife Lynn Angell, actress Berry Berenson, and Akamai Technologies co-founder Daniel Lewin. Notably, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane avoided tragedy by missing this flight due to oversleeping. Both actor Mark Wahlberg and actress Leighanne Littrell had reservations but canceled their plans shortly before departure.

Portland, Maine

At 05:41 Eastern Daylight Time on September 11, 2001, Mohamed Atta, identified as the leader, along with fellow hijacker Abdulaziz al-Omari, arrived at Portland International Jetport. When Atta approached the ticket counter to obtain a boarding pass for Flight 11, he was informed that he needed to complete check-in again at Logan Airport. Showing signs of irritation, he mentioned that he had been promised a "one-step check-in" process. The agent, mindful of avoiding any racial profiling issues, urged him to hurry to prevent missing the flight. Despite his displeasure, Atta and Omari proceeded toward the security checkpoint.

They boarded Colgan Air Flight 5930, which departed promptly at 06:00 en route to Boston. Both men held first-class tickets connecting to Los Angeles; Atta checked in two pieces of luggage—a green Travel Gear and a black Travelpro—while Omari carried no bags. Atta was flagged by the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS) for additional baggage screening but managed to board without complications.

The flight departed on schedule and landed in Boston at 06:45. At roughly the same time, three other hijackers—Waleed al-Shehri, Wail al-Shehri, and Satam al-Suqami—arrived at Logan Airport after leaving their rental car in the parking lot. At 06:52, Marwan al-Shehhi, pilot of United Airlines Flight 175, contacted Atta via cell phone from a payphone at Logan to confirm that the attacks were set to commence.

Boston, Massachusetts

After failing to receive boarding passes for Flight 11 in Portland, Atta and Omari completed check-in and passed through security at Boston’s Logan Airport. The trio of hijackers—Suqami, Wail al-Shehri, and Waleed al-Shehri—also checked in there. Both Wail al-Shehri and Suqami checked one bag each; Waleed al-Shehri did not check any luggage. All three were selected by CAPPS for enhanced baggage screening; however, no further passenger security measures were applied.

First Officer Lynn Howland had just arrived in Boston after co-piloting the flight from San Francisco that was now designated American Flight 11. Atta approached her and inquired if she would be flying the plane back; upon learning she had just completed the inbound leg, he disengaged. Atta also confirmed with a gate agent that his two bags checked earlier in Portland had been loaded onto the aircraft; due to the expedited check-in process, they were not actually on board.

By 07:40, all five hijackers had boarded Flight 11, which was scheduled for departure at 07:45. Atta occupied business class seat 8D with al-Omari seated in 8G and Suqami in 10B; Waleed and Wail al-Shehri took first-class seats 2B and 2A respectively. Shortly before departure, flight service manager Michael Woodward observed Atta’s somber demeanor but did not intervene.

At 07:46, one minute behind schedule, Flight 11 received clearance to push back from Gate B32. The aircraft taxied at 07:50 and commenced its takeoff roll from runway 4R at Logan International Airport at 07:59.

Hijacking

"Hello, my name is Betty Ong. I'm the third flight attendant on Flight 11. Our lead flight attendant has been stabbed. The purser has also been stabbed. We don't know who attacked whom, and we cannot get to business class because no one can breathe. The cockpit door is locked and won't open."

- Flight attendant Betty Ong communicating with American Airlines emergency dispatch.

According to the 9/11 Commission, the hijacking commenced at approximately 08:14 when the pilots stopped responding to communications from the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center (Boston ARTCC). At 08:13:29, while flying over central Massachusetts at , the pilots complied with a command to turn right. By 08:13:47, Boston ARTCC instructed the aircraft to climb to , but no acknowledgment was received. The plane maintained level flight at at 08:16 before deviating from its assigned course.

At 08:17:59, controllers at Boston Center detected a brief, unidentified noise on Flight 11’s radio frequency, later characterized as a scream. Multiple attempts by Boston ARTCC to establish contact went unanswered. The commission determined that hijackers had seized control of the plane by 08:20, roughly six minutes after the attack began. At 08:21, the aircraft’s Mode-C transponder was turned off. ACARS transmitted two messages at 08:23 and 08:25 requesting a response, but Flight 11 remained silent.

Reports from flight attendants

During the hijacking, flight attendants Amy Sweeney and Betty Ong informed American Airlines that hijackers had stabbed fellow attendants Karen Martin and Barbara Arestegui and slashed passenger Daniel Lewin’s throat. The method by which the hijackers gained entry to the cockpit remains uncertain; FAA regulations mandated locked cockpit doors during flight. Ong speculated that the hijackers "forced their way in." Both attendants reported that all five hijackers confined themselves within the cockpit.

The commission proposed that assaults on flight attendants were intended either to acquire a cockpit key, breach the door, or lure pilots outside. It is believed that Atta initiated the attack, with the al-Shehri brothers assaulting Martin and Arestegui; Martin sustained severe wounds and received oxygen treatment, while Arestegui's injuries were less severe. Ong overheard intense shouting following cockpit entry. It is likely that pilots Ogonowski and McGuinness were killed or incapacitated by the hijackers.

An early account suggested Ogonowski attempted to use the cockpit radio to alert ground control, though this contradicts findings in the 9/11 Commission Report. The precise moment when hijackers assumed control is unclear; one hypothesis suggests crew members navigated near New York before hijackers took over near the Hudson River, where they could see the World Trade Center towers. Sweeney reported that one hijacker displayed a device with red and yellow wires resembling an explosive.

Passengers seated in coach appeared unaware of any threat, possibly believing a medical emergency was occurring at the front of the plane—likely a tactic to prevent panic. Ong observed that Lewin seemed lifeless; Sweeney recounted that Suqami attacked him. Lewin was seated in 9B, with Suqami directly behind in seat 10B.

One account indicates Suqami assaulted Lewin without provocation as a means of intimidation. Alternatively, Lewin—an American-Israeli businessman and former elite Sayeret Matkal operative—may have confronted the hijackers unaware of Suqami’s presence behind him. Lewin is regarded as the first casualty of 9/11.

Throughout a four-minute call to American Airlines operations, Ong reported no communication from the cockpit or access granted and suspected Mace spray had been used in business class. She also provided seat locations of the hijackers, information critical for subsequent investigations.

Communications from the hijacker

At 08:24:38, air traffic controllers in Boston received a message from Atta stating, "We have some planes. Just stay quiet and you'll be O.K. We are returning to the airport." Shortly after, at 08:24:56, he added, "Nobody move. Everything will be okay. If you try to make any moves, you'll endanger yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet."

It appears Atta mistakenly activated the transmission switch intended for air traffic control rather than addressing passengers. Some investigators believe his intent was to create confusion within the FAA and to alert Marwan al-Shehhi aboard United Airlines Flight 175. Since both flights departed simultaneously on cross-country paths, Atta’s message could have served as a coordinated cue for the second hijacking team to initiate their plan. It is probable that al-Shehhi heard this communication and postponed his takeover until Flight 175 had moved into a different air traffic control zone.

After these transmissions and loss of contact with Flight 11, Boston ARTCC identified the hijacking event. At 08:26, once the aircraft crossed from Massachusetts into New York airspace, it turned southward along the Hudson River heading toward New York City. At 08:32, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Command Center located in Herndon, Virginia informed FAA headquarters of the situation.

At 08:33:59, Atta transmitted again: "Nobody move, please. We are going back to the airport. Don't try to make any stupid moves." Then at 08:37:08, pilots of United Airlines Flight 175 confirmed Flight 11’s position and course with flight control. Moments before their own hijacking at 8:42 a.m., Flight 175’s crew reported overhearing a suspicious announcement during ascent from Logan Airport around the time Flight 11 was seized, suggesting they likely intercepted Atta’s third transmission.

Deployment of fighter aircraft

Boston ARTCC bypassed usual procedures by directly contacting the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) based in Rome, New York. NEADS ordered two F-15 fighter jets stationed at Otis Air National Guard Base in Mashpee, Massachusetts to intercept the hijacked aircraft. Personnel at Otis required several minutes to secure takeoff clearance. The command to launch was issued at 08:46, and the F-15s departed at 08:53—approximately seven minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 had impacted the North Tower. Among the four hijacked planes on September 11, NORAD received roughly nine minutes’ advance notice regarding Flight 11, representing its longest lead time before a crash.

Crash

"Battalion 1 to Manhattan. We have a number of floors on fire. It looked like the plane was aiming towards the building."

Chief Joseph Pfeifer, delivering the first official report upon witnessing the crash.

At approximately 8:37 a.m., Flight 11 initiated a steep descent toward Manhattan, completing its final turn three minutes prior to impact. At 08:46, flight attendant Amy Sweeney communicated that the plane was "flying way too low," just before Atta intentionally crashed into the North Tower. Traveling near , and carrying about of jet fuel, it struck between floors 93 and 99, impacting close to the 96th floor. The collision instantly killed hundreds, including everyone onboard and numerous occupants inside those floors. Many individuals outside the immediate impact zone were incinerated by exploding fuel. Estimates suggest up to 1,426 people were located on the uppermost eighteen floors at impact time. The building’s core contained three stairwells spaced only apart; all were severed by the crash, trapping nearly one thousand survivors. Elevator operations were disrupted from floor fifty upwards.

The aircraft descended at an angle near ten degrees, forcing debris into stairwells up to six stories below impact; floors above these points were cut off from escape routes. Survivors were found as high as the ninety-first floor; conditions above that level proved fatal due to fire, smoke inhalation, and structural collapse. Approximately one hundred to two hundred people fell from upper levels—mostly jumping to escape intense heat and smoke.

Damage extended through every floor up to level ninety-two with collapsed walls and severed sprinkler systems causing flooding. Burning jet fuel spread through elevator shafts and ventilation ducts, igniting fires across many floors between seventy-seven and ninety-one. Three significant flash fires erupted in skylobbies and the main lobby area, inflicting fatal burns well below impact zones. The shockwave also affected both towers, damaging façades of the South Tower and breaking windows. Prevailing winds carried dense smoke over upper floors of the South Tower where occupants reported fumes and extreme heat.

Numerous witnesses throughout New York City and surrounding states observed smoke billowing from the North Tower immediately after impact. Only four individuals captured footage at that moment: French filmmaker Jules Naudet recorded clear video of Flight 11 striking while filming an FDNY documentary; Pavel Hlava filmed from a distance preparing to enter Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel; WNYW reporter Dick Oliver documented scenes near City Hall Park; and Wolfgang Staehle’s Brooklyn webcam captured still images of Flight 11 approaching and exploding.

Initial accounts mistakenly described the aircraft as a "small, twin-engine jet," despite visible damage consistent with a large commercial airliner. At 08:55, senior advisor Karl Rove informed President George W. Bush that it "must have been caused by pilot error." CNN vice president Sean Murtagh soon verified that a large passenger jet had struck the World Trade Center, prompting networks to interrupt regular programming with breaking news updates.

Officials initially assumed the crash was accidental; many occupants in the South Tower began evacuation after witnessing it, but full evacuation was delayed by Port Authority personnel who believed it was an accident. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 impacted the South Tower, confirming a coordinated terrorist attack.

Aftermath

The North Tower remained ablaze for 102 minutes before its collapse at 10:28. Although the initial impact inflicted significant structural harm, it was the sustained fires fueled by jet fuel that ultimately led to the tower’s failure. The collapse resulted in the deaths of hundreds of rescue personnel. Despite being struck first, the North Tower withstood nearly twice as long as the South Tower, which burned for only 56 minutes prior to falling. This disparity arose because Flight 11 hit at a higher elevation and a slower velocity than Flight 175, leaving fewer floors above the impact zone; specifically, the North Tower had 11 stories above the collision point, whereas the South Tower had more than double that number. Investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald L.P., occupying floors 101 through 105 of the North Tower, suffered the greatest loss of life among employers, with 658 employees killed.

Shortly after the incident, rescue operations recovered fragments of bodies from Flight 11 passengers, including evidence indicating hijackers had used plastic restraints. Within a year, forensic teams identified remains of 33 individuals from Flight 11 victims, with further identifications continuing until 2007 through advanced DNA analysis. Remains of two hijackers were also identified and removed from Memorial Park; however, some remain unidentified and are interred there.

The passport of hijacker Suqami survived the crash and was found near the site. Authorities also recovered Mohamed Atta's luggage containing documents connecting all 19 hijackers to their respective flights. Months later, Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility for the attacks, remarking that the destruction exceeded his expectations by causing full collapses beyond just the floors impacted by the planes. Flight data recorders from Flights 11 and 175 were never recovered.

Following the attacks, the flight number for this route and departure time was changed; as of 2024, this service is operated using an Airbus A321 instead of a Boeing 767. American flags are displayed at Logan Airport’s gate B32 and Los Angeles International Airport’s gate 65B to commemorate Flight 11’s departure and intended arrival locations.

In 2002, Massachusetts honored Madeline Amy Sweeney and Betty Ong with the first annual Madeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery; John Ogonowski received this award posthumously.

In April 2013, debris identified as part of a Boeing 767 wing flap was discovered near Ground Zero; in 2014, Flight 11’s onboard defibrillator was recovered during construction work on Liberty Street.

At the National September 11 Memorial, the names of all 87 victims from Flight 11 are engraved on Panels N-1, N-2, and N-74 through N-76 at the North Pool.

See also

• Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 342
• Indian Airlines Flight 814
• TWA Flight 847
• List of aircraft hijackings
• 1 World Trade Center (1971–2001)

External links

• The Final 9/11 Commission Report
• 9-11 NTSB Report
• , September 11, 2001
• , September 12, 2001