American Airlines Flight 11

American Airlines Flight 11
Date	September 11, 2001
Type	Terrorist hijacking
Site	World Trade Center, New York City
Occupants	92
Fatalities	92 (all on board, plus thousands in towers)
Aircraft type	Boeing 767-223ER
Operator	American Airlines
Tail number	N334AA
Origin	Logan International Airport
Destination	Los Angeles International Airport

American Airlines Flight 11 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001. The hijackers deliberately crashed the Boeing 767 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City as part of the coordinated September 11 attacks. The impact and resulting fire caused the catastrophic collapse of the tower, marking the beginning of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil.

Flight Details

The flight was a regularly scheduled morning service from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport. Operated by American Airlines, it utilized a Boeing 767-223ER aircraft, a wide-body jet commonly used for transcontinental routes. The assigned flight number, 11, was part of American Airlines' standard numbering system for its East Coast to West Coast routes. On that day, the flight was fully loaded with fuel for the cross-country journey, which significantly increased the destructiveness of the subsequent impact.

Departure and Crash

Flight 11 pushed back from Gate 32 at Terminal B of Logan International Airport at 7:59 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The hijacking began approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, with the assailants using knives and box-cutters to assault crew members and breach the cockpit. Under the control of hijacker-pilot Mohamed Atta, the aircraft deviated sharply from its assigned flight path, turning south toward New York City. At 8:46 a.m., the plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center between the 93rd and 99th floors, traveling at roughly 466 knots. The crash was witnessed live on television by millions and was followed by the impact of United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower 17 minutes later.

Aircraft and Crew

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 767-223ER, registration N334AA, delivered to American Airlines in 1987. The cockpit crew consisted of Captain John Ogonowski and First Officer Thomas McGuinness, both experienced pilots. There were nine flight attendants on board, including lead flight attendant Barbara Arestegui and purser Karen Martin. The FBI investigation later confirmed that the five hijackers, led by Mohamed Atta, had boarded the flight as passengers after passing through security at Logan International Airport.

Passengers

The flight carried 81 passengers in addition to the 11 crew members. Among the passengers were several notable individuals, including Daniel Lewin, a co-founder of Akamai Technologies, and David Angell, a producer for the television series Frasier. The passenger manifest included business travelers, tourists, and the five al-Qaeda hijackers: Mohamed Atta, Abdulaziz al-Omari, Wail al-Shehri, Waleed al-Shehri, and Satam al-Suqami. Their actions were part of a larger terrorist plot directed by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and sanctioned by Osama bin Laden.

Investigation and Aftermath

The investigation was led by the FBI as part of the overall 9/11 probe, with the NTSB assisting. Cockpit voice recorder transcripts revealed the struggle in the cockpit and the terrorists' announcements to the passengers. The investigation quickly identified the hijackers and their connections to al-Qaeda, leading to the invasion of Afghanistan by a NATO-led coalition. The event precipitated massive reforms in aviation security, including the creation of the TSA and the passing of the USA PATRIOT Act by the United States Congress.

Impact and Legacy

The destruction of Flight 11 and the World Trade Center had a profound and lasting impact. It resulted in the immediate deaths of all 92 people on board and thousands more in the towers and on the ground, fundamentally altering global politics and security paradigms. The site was later redeveloped as the new World Trade Center complex, anchored by the Freedom Tower. The event is memorialized annually, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum was built on the footprint of the original towers. The attack led to a protracted Global War on Terrorism, significant changes in U.S. foreign policy, and enduring debates over security, liberty, and the Middle East.

Category:September 11 attacks Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States Category:American Airlines