9/11: Minute by Minute

- Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations

of our biggest buildings,

but they cannot touch the foundation of America.

These acts shatter steel,

but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

- American 11 climbing just a little 350.

American 11 Boston.

Mike Lehman how do you hear?

- Mike Lehman heard you loud and clear.

- American 11, Boston.

This is Boston, I turn American 20 left

and I was gonna climb he will not respond to me now.

Is that American 11 trying to call?

- we have a complain.

Just stay quite and it will be okay.

We're returning to the airport.

- And who's trying to call me here?

American 11 are you trying to call?

- Nobody move, everything will be okay.

If you try to make any move,

you are gonna hurt yourself and the airplane.

Lets stay quite.

- Yeah, they're in the back of the airplane.

They're not...

Oh, the hijackers they're in the cockpit.

Oh, no.

Is he inbound to JFK?

We don't know.

- You don't know where he is at all?

He's being hijacked,

the pilot is having a hard time talking so they...

I mean, we don't know.

We don't know where he's gone.

- Well, today we've had a national tragedy.

Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center

in an apparent terrorist attack on our country.

- Just get me somebody who has the authority

to get military in the air now.

- Plain seen Panther 4546 on the battle station.

I repeat battle station.

- There is a report of black smoke

in the last position I gave you.

- From the airplane or from the ground?

- They're speculating it's from the aircraft.

- Tuesday, September 11th, 2001.

6:00 am, New York city.

The big apple wakes to a beautiful calm sunny day.

Birds sing as citizens go about their daily lives

unaware of the impending chaos.

Boston, first on scene, the Algante brothers arrive

at Logan International Airport by taxi

and proceed to terminal C.

Traveling from Portland Maine, Mohamed Atta

and Abdulaziz Al-Omari arrive

at Logan International Airport in Boston.

- This is your final-

- Three more hijackers arrived by rental car

and proceed to the terminal.

At terminal C, a different part of the airport,

Hijacker pilot Marwan Al-Shehhi checks in.

Atta receives a call from Marwan Al-Shehhi

from a payphone within Logan Airport.

Al-Shehhi confirms the coordinated plans

of attack are set in motion.

Upon check-in and security,

some of the hijackers including the ringleader Atta

was singled out by the computer assisted

passenger pre-screening system.

At the time, the system only selected candidates

for enhanced baggage scrutiny.

Those who had no checked bags remained unimpeded.

Prior to the attacks 911,

airport policy allowed utility knives

of up to four inches on board.

Despite setting off alarms

and the being searched more thoroughly,

hijackers successfully made it through security.

Armed with box cutters and knives.

Gate C19, within the next five minutes,

Al-Shehhi and his terrorist cell boards

American airlines Flight 175.

Taking their seats in the first and business class areas.

Gate B32, Atta boards American airlines, Flight 11

headed for Los Angeles.

7:40 AM, all five men of the Jihadi cell

are onboard Flight 11 scheduled to depart

in the next five minutes.

Behind schedule, the plane begins its journey,

pushing back from gate B32.

Flight 11, a Boeing 767, holding 92 souls on board

takes off down the runway.

Meanwhile, at gate C19, the fully fueled Flight 175

that's scheduled to depart in one minute is delayed,

and doesn't receive clearance to take off for 15 minutes.

- Good morning, American 11,

with effect to 290

Flight 11.

- American 11 turn 20 degrees right.

- Pretty right American 11.

- American 11 now climb a little 350.

- Boston air traffic control center

instructs the pilots to climb to 35,000 feet,

but receives no reply.

- American 11 Boston.

- A second attempt to contact the pilots fails.

Several attempts later, the response remains silent.

- This is Boston, I turned American 20 left

and I was gonna climb, he will not respond to me now.

- Looks like he's turning right.

- Yeah I turned them 20 right.

Oh, okay.

- And he's only going to, I think 29.

American 11 Boston.

- Two hijackers rise from row two,

each stabbing a Flight attendant in the process.

Panic and confusion ensues throughout the aircraft.

A painful mist permeates

as hijackers begin spraying mace throughout the cabin.

To this day, there is no definitive answer

to how the hijackers gained access to the cockpits.

Whether through threat or force.

Terrorists gained control of the aircraft.

Flight 175 carrying 65 souls on board,

lifts off from the Boston runway.

Nearly 15 minutes behind the scheduled departure time.

Via an air phone, one Flight attendant, Betty Ong

notifies an American Airlines Reservation Center

of the suspected hijacking.

- The cockpit is not answering,

somebody is stabbed in business class.

And I think there's mace, that we can't breath.

I don't know, I think we're getting hijacked.

we just left Boston we're up in the air.

We're suppose to go to LA,

and the cockpit is not answering their phone.

- Okay but what sit are you sitting in?

What's the number of your seats?

- Okay, I'm in my jump seat right now.

- Okay. - That's 3R.

- Okay you're the Flight attendant?

I'm sorry, did you say you're the Flight attendant?

- Hello? - Yes Hello.

- Yes, what is your name?

- You're gonna have to speak up,

I can't hear you.

- Sure, what is your name?

- Okay, my name is Betty Ong.

I'm number three on Flight 11.

- Okay, can you describe the person

that you said, somebody is stabbed on business plane?

- I'm sitting in the back,

somebody is coming back from business

if you can hold on for one second,

they're coming back.

Our number one got stabbed

I trust her staff.

Nobody knows who's stabbed who,

and we can't even get up to business class right now

'cause nobody can breathe

and we can't get the cockpit,

the door won't open, hello?

- Yeah, I'm taking it down all the information.

We're also of course recording this.

At this point-

- This is in operations,

what Flight number are we talked about?

Flight 12.

- Flight 12, okay I'm giving-

- No we're on Flight 11 right now.

This is Flight 11.

- It's Flight 11, I'm sorry Betty.

- Have you guys called anyone else?

- No, somebody's calling medical

and we can't get up...

- American airlines emergency line,

Please state your emergency.