American Airlines Flight 11 facts for kids
AAL11 flight path from Boston to New York City
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| Hijacking summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, September 11, 2001 |
| Summary | Terrorist suicide hijacking |
| Place | North Tower of the World Trade Center, New York City, U.S. 40°42′43.63″N 74°0′47.48″W / 40.7121194°N 74.0131889°W |
| Passengers | 81 (including 5 hijackers) |
| Crew | 11 |
| Fatalities | 92 (all; including 5 hijackers) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 767-223ER |
| Airline/user | American Airlines |
| Registration | N334AA |
| Flew from | Logan International Airport, Boston |
| Flying to | Los Angeles International Airport |
American Airlines Flight 11 was a passenger plane that was taken over by five members of a terrorist group called al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001. This event was part of the larger September 11 attacks. One of the hijackers, Mohamed Atta, purposely flew the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Everyone on board the plane, 92 people, died. Many more people in the building were also killed.
The aircraft was a Boeing 767-223ER. It was flying a regular morning trip for American Airlines. The flight was supposed to go from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles.
About 15 minutes after takeoff, the hijackers forced their way into the cockpit. They took control of the plane. Mohamed Atta, who was a trained pilot, then flew the aircraft.
Air traffic controllers noticed something was wrong when the pilots stopped responding. They soon realized the plane had been hijacked. This happened when Atta accidentally sent his messages for the passengers to air traffic control.
Two flight attendants, Amy Sweeney and Betty Ong, bravely contacted American Airlines. They gave important information about the hijackers and how people on board were hurt.
The plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 AM local time. Many people in New York City saw the crash. A filmmaker named Jules Naudet recorded the only known video of the impact from beginning to end.
The crash and the large fire that followed caused the North Tower to fall down. This happened 102 minutes after the plane hit. Hundreds more people died when the tower collapsed. During the cleanup at the World Trade Center site, workers found and identified many remains of the victims from Flight 11.
Contents
About the Aircraft and Passengers
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The American Airlines Flight 11 aircraft was a Boeing 767-223ER. It was built in 1987 and had the registration number N334AA. The plane could hold 158 passengers. However, on September 11, it had 81 passengers and 11 crew members. This meant the plane was not very full, only about 58% of its seats were taken.
All 92 people on board died in the crash. Some famous people were on the flight. These included David Angell, who created the TV show Frasier, his wife Lynn Angell, and actress Berry Berenson.
Some other well-known people were supposed to be on the flight but missed it. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane arrived late at the airport. Actor Mark Wahlberg and actress Leighanne Littrell also changed their plans at the last minute.
How the Hijackers Boarded
Mohamed Atta was a leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist group and the attacks. He and another hijacker, Abdulaziz al-Omari, flew from Portland, Maine, to Boston early on September 11, 2001. Both had first class tickets for the flight to Los Angeles.
Three other hijackers, Waleed al-Shehri, Wail al-Shehri, and Satam al-Suqami, arrived at Logan International Airport by car. All five checked in for the flight. By 7:40 AM, they were on board the plane. The flight was scheduled to leave at 7:45 AM.
Mohamed Atta sat in business class with Abdulaziz al-Omari and Satam al-Suqami. Waleed al-Shehri and Wail al-Shehri sat in first class. The plane moved away from Gate 26 and took off from Logan International Airport at 7:59 AM. It was 14 minutes late.
The Hijacking Begins
It is believed the hijacking started around 8:14 AM. This is when the pilots stopped talking to air traffic control in Boston. Two minutes later, the plane flew off its planned route. No more radio messages came from the aircraft. The system that helps planes avoid crashing into each other was also turned off.
Flight attendants Betty Ong and Amy Sweeney used special phones on the plane to call American Airlines. They reported that the hijackers had hurt two other flight attendants. They also said an Israeli passenger had been killed. During a four-minute call, Ong told the airline where the hijackers were sitting. She also said no one could get into the cockpit.
At 8:23 AM, Atta tried to speak to the passengers from the cockpit. But he pressed the wrong button. His message was sent to air traffic control instead. He said, "We have some planes, just stay quiet and you'll be okay. We are returning to the airport." A minute later, he said, "Nobody move. Everything will be okay. If you try to make any moves, you'll endanger yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet."
Air traffic control realized the plane was hijacked. They immediately called the Federal Aviation Administration. Soon after, Atta announced, "Nobody move please, we are going back to the airport, don't try to make any stupid moves." Five minutes later, Boston air traffic control called North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
NORAD ordered two F-15 fighter aircraft to intercept the flight. However, it was too late. American Airlines Flight 11 had already turned towards Manhattan. It crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center more than six minutes before the fighter jets took off.
The Crash into the World Trade Center
At 8:46:40 AM, the hijackers crashed Flight 11 into the northern side of the North Tower (Tower 1) of the World Trade Center. The plane was flying at about 750 kilometers per hour (466 mph). It was carrying about 37,850 liters (10,000 U.S. gallons) of flammable fuel. The plane hit between the 93rd and 99th floors of the North Tower. All 92 people on board were killed.
The North Tower was so badly damaged that people above the crash site could not escape. All stairs and elevators from the 92nd floor and higher were blocked. This trapped 1,344 people. Hundreds died right away from the impact.
The remaining people were trapped and died from the fire and smoke. Some died after jumping from the building. Burning jet fuel also traveled down more than one elevator shaft, causing explosions on the way down.
Jules Naudet, a French cameraman, filmed the crash. A webcam set up at an art exhibition in Brooklyn also filmed Flight 11 hitting the North Tower. This webcam took pictures of Lower Manhattan every four seconds.
News organizations first reported an explosion at the World Trade Center. CNN stopped a commercial at 8:49 AM with the headline "World Trade Center Disaster."
President George W. Bush was arriving at an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida. He was told about the crash. The president first thought it was an accident. He believed the pilot might have had a heart attack. News reports initially thought the crash was an accident. This changed when United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower at 9:03 AM.
After the Crash
After the crash, the North Tower burned and later collapsed. The crash caused a lot of damage. However, the fire caused by the jet fuel was mainly blamed for the tower's collapse. Hundreds of rescue workers also died when the tower fell.
Months later, a video recording was found in Afghanistan. In it, al-Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, seemed to say he planned the attack. He said he believed parts of the towers would collapse. The flight recorders, which record important flight data, for Flight 11 and Flight 175 were never found.
After the attacks, the flight number for planes on the same route and at the same takeoff time was changed. It became American Airlines Flight 25. A Boeing 757 was used instead of a Boeing 767. An American flag was placed on the jet bridge where Flight 11 had departed from Logan Airport.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Jules Naudet filmed the impact of Flight 11 as it crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
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Wreckage at museum
See also
In Spanish: Vuelo 11 de American Airlines para niños
