There are no words we can write to accurately express the sadness and fear caused by this terrible day. Instead, on the anniversary of the worst tragedy in aviation history, we would like to use this space to share the stories of FlyerTalkers in honor of all those who were affected by the September 11, 2001.
Over twenty years ago, the world was irrevocably transformed in the worst possible ways.
At 8:46 a.m. Eastern Time, the September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into floors 93 to 99 of One World Trade Center, killing 82 crew members and passengers on board. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 was airlifted to floors 77 to 85 of 2 World Trade Center, ending the lives of 60 crew members and passengers.
In the hours to come, American Airlines Flight 77 would crash into the Pentagon, killing all 59 airmen on board, while United Airlines Flight 93 would go down in a field in southwestern Pennsylvania, after all 40 people on board rallied against their hijackers.
This event would become the worst attack on the United States in history. 2,996 people were killed, the twin towers of the World Trade Center were demolished and part of the Pentagon collapsed. In the hours following the attack, American airspace was closed. More than 500 international flights were turned away, while every second flight was ordered to land immediately. When the dust settled, more than 2,600 souls were lost in the tragedy.
There are no words we can write to accurately express the sadness and fear caused by this terrible day. Instead, on the anniversary of the worst tragedy in aviation history, we would like to use this space to share the stories of FlyerTalkers in honor of all those who were affected by the September 11, 2001.
May we never forget.
Featured image courtesy: Anthony Quintano via Flickr (CC-BY-2.0)
