9/11 - where were you on the day that changed history?

[RobbRiddick]

Not sure if this is allowed here, I'm sure the mods will move it for me if not.

 

As it is almost 20 whole years since that day, and since I'm fascinated by the whole thing, I wondered what people here (at least those who were alive/old enough to remember) where they were and what they were doing when they heard about the attacks or saw them unfolding on TV.

 

I had taken the day off work and was doing some work around the house. I put the radio on to listen to some music while I worked and soon after the breaking news came on. I spent the rest of the day in front of the TV in a strange sort of shock, like the whole thing wasn't really happening. People saying certain experiences feel like dreams can be a little cliched but that's one of the few times when I experienced that feeling.

 

Oh, and I haven't asked this question to cause a political debate on what happened after. There will be lots of threads in the other forum for that. I'm just interested in hearing how you experienced that day, wherever you happened to be.

 

And on an NFL note, if you haven't seen it I'd recommend the NFL Timeline documentary about the whole debate that went on that week around whether the weekend's games should be cancelled. 

[Patrick Duffy]

I was on the way to court to plea not guilty

[LeviF]

 

[Gugny]

I was working nights at the time (4pm - 12:30am).  

 

My then-wife woke me up to tell me a plane crashed into the WTC.  I immediately got up and started watching the events unfold.

 

As I'm writing this, I'm feeling anger and sadness ... so I'll stop writing.   Looking forward to others' stories and hoping any a-holes will stay away from the thread altogether.

[Marv's Neighbor]

We were in bed, because we were on the west coast, and normally worked an afternoon shift.

[The Avenger]

Fist day back in the office after attending the Bills home opener. Because I live in MA I had taken Monday off to drive back from WNY and 9/11 was a Tuesday - absolutely stunning sunny early fall day - not a cloud in the sky. I had been traveling to a client site in Pittsburgh pretty much every week but not that week because of my day off. 

 

Heard reports of a plane crash on the radio as I was driving to work. Then more news once I got into the office. Then things got really crazy and websites crashed due to volume and it was hard to get news. I called my wife who was at home and watching on TV and she told me one of the buildings collapsed - I couldn't fathom that. Just 2 years earlier we had moved from NYC and I was frequently working with financial clients in and around WTC - I was in that area all the time. Each of those buildings covered a huge city block and were over 100 stories tall - hard to describe how massive they were. Spent lots of time at 7 WTC where we had a client - couldn't understand how that building collapsed.

 

People started calling me after flight 93 crashed - knowing I was flying to PA every week they wanted to make sure I was OK. Again, lucky I wasn't traveling that week or I would have been stuck in Pittsburgh (or wherever my morning flight would have been grounded).

 

What I remember most was the silence -   everyone was so stunned nobody could speak - everyone walked around like a zombie for days. I would come home and my wife and I wouldn't speak - we were so dazed and there was nothing to say. Absolutely horrible.

[Metal Man]

I was at work listening to Howard Stern on the radio at my desk.

 

I remember he was telling a story about possibly having a chance to hook up with Pam Anderson and one of his staff interrupted about a plane hitting the world trade. They didn't think much of it at first thinking it was just a small accident so he continued with his story. However shortly after someone else came into the studio and mentioned being able to see smoke.

 

At this point I mentioned it to my cube neighbor, (who on a side not happened to be Tim Russert's sister), and she brought up CNN which already had a photo of the first plane hitting on the main page.

 

I went back to the radio and believe it or not Howard actually did a really good job of covering all the developments until well past his usual sign off time of 10 or 11am.

 

I don't think much work got done that day though I didn't leave early. Watched a lot of the coverage when I got home and recall just a strange mix of emotions ranging from anger, fear, and patriotism. 

[RobbRiddick]

24 minutes ago, The Avenger said:

Fist day back in the office after attending the Bills home opener. Because I live in MA I had taken Monday off to drive back from WNY and 9/11 was a Tuesday - absolutely stunning sunny early fall day - not a cloud in the sky. I had been traveling to a client site in Pittsburgh pretty much every week but not that week because of my day off. 

 

Heard reports of a plane crash on the radio as I was driving to work. Then more news once I got into the office. Then things got really crazy and websites crashed due to volume and it was hard to get news. I called my wife who was at home and watching on TV and she told me one of the buildings collapsed - I couldn't fathom that. Just 2 years earlier we had moved from NYC and I was frequently working with financial clients in and around WTC - I was in that area all the time. Each of those buildings covered a huge city block and were over 100 stories tall - hard to describe how massive they were. Spent lots of time at 7 WTC where we had a client - couldn't understand how that building collapsed.

 

People started calling me after flight 93 crashed - knowing I was flying to PA every week they wanted to make sure I was OK. Again, lucky I wasn't traveling that week or I would have been stuck in Pittsburgh (or wherever my morning flight would have been grounded).

 

What I remember most was the silence -   everyone was so stunned nobody could speak - everyone walked around like a zombie for days. I would come home and my wife and I wouldn't speak - we were so dazed and there was nothing to say. Absolutely horrible.

 

Incredible recollections, thanks for posting that. 

26 minutes ago, Metal Man said:

I was at work listening to Howard Stern on the radio at my desk.

 

I remember he was telling a story about possibly having a chance to hook up with Pam Anderson and one of his staff interrupted about a plane hitting the world trade. They didn't think much of it at first thinking it was just a small accident so he continued with his story. However shortly after someone else came into the studio and mentioned being able to see smoke.

 

At this point I mentioned it to my cube neighbor, (who on a side not happened to be Tim Russert's sister), and she brought up CNN which already had a photo of the first plane hitting on the main page.

 

I went back to the radio and believe it or not Howard actually did a really good job of covering all the developments until well past his usual sign off time of 10 or 11am.

 

I don't think much work got done that day though I didn't leave early. Watched a lot of the coverage when I got home and recall just a strange mix of emotions ranging from anger, fear, and patriotism. 

 

I've heard bits of that broadcast and the documentary they made about it a few years ago. They were saying how different to the news stations it was, as Howard was just saying what he thought without having to remain impartial 

[DD4Bills]

I happened to be in midtown Manhattan attending a conference. As word started to filter through that a plane had hit a tower, most thought "that's weird...it's a beautiful day...pilot must have had a medical issue" and assumed it was a small private plane. Obviously, things progressed quickly from there as the scope of the events became apparent. Impressions from that day include:

 

- Furiously trying to get a hold of my wife back in Chicago and battling congested cell service

- standing on Broadway and looking south towards a smoke-filled sky

- Eerie silence as the day progressed and all traffic (except for emergency vehicles) ceased on the streets

- A unique "disaster camaraderie" that engulfed the people staying in the hotel. Only guests were allowed on the property and the bar was the main gathering spot

 

Ultimately, I was able to get off on Manhattan the next day, working my way north to an office my company had in CT. From there was able to rent a car and drive back to Chicago.

 

Even though I was not that close to the World Trade Center, just being in NYC that day has definitely affected me. To this day, I cannot watch 9-11 documentaries or retrospectives.

[nucci]

I was at Phiily airport working for USAir. My wife a FA who flew to Madrid the night before. Received a call from the tower to shut down operations and get everyone inside. Cell phones and messaging apps not as advanced back then  so could not get through to her to tell her what was happening. She was in Madrid for a week before she was able to fly home. Scary time for us

[The Avenger]

1 minute ago, nucci said:

I was at Phiily airport working for USAir. My wife a FA who flew to Madrid the night before. Received a call from the tower to shut down operations and get everyone inside. Cell phones and messaging apps not as advanced back then  so could not get through to her to tell her what was happening. She was in Madrid for a week before she was able to fly home. Scary time for us

Normal airport logistics are an incredible feat, but what happened on 9/11 and the ability to quickly shut everything down was amazing - being a part of that industry and undertaking must have been quite the experience. 

[sherpa]

I was a 767 check captain. In that position you train new captains and first officers and certify them on regular passenger flights before they start actually flying schedules. I left New York the afternoon prior and was in San Francisco. We left San Francisco on the return leg at 6am.

 

I had just finished the mandatory “seat belt” announcement when you reach cruise altitude, and were just east of Fallon Nevada. I saw the printer start printing a message. The company communicates in flight through a data link system that prints their messages. The message said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow the door to be opened.” Pretty strange message, so I read it and put it away without saying anything to the new co-pilot I was with.

A few minutes later, I got another message that said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Defend the cockpit at all cost. Suggest divert.”

 

I had been based in San Francisco my years as a first officer, and one of my old friends was going to NY so I told him to come up when we hit cruise so I could check up on old friends. He had just arrived and was sitting in the jumpseat. I told him something is going on, and asked him to listen to an AM station. The airplane has the ability to hear the am freq range. He told me that they were saying there had been multiple hijackings and suicide hits on the World Trade Center, and  they thought there were more to come. 767’s and 757’s, the two planes I was a check captain on.

There is a way to get all the flight attendants on the phone at the same time, so I  did that and explained the situation and had them block the cockpit door with service carts and two males guard the area, jumpseater behind me with the crash axe and fire extinguisher to get anyone trying to get in.

 

Told air traffic that we needed to divert to San Francisco, turned the thing around and started back. Fortunately, I was a west coast Navy pilot while in the military, so I knew all the bases and airports available in case something happened. Pushed the airplane up to max speed, .85 mach and started back.

Absolutely nothing from air traffic control. In fact the only other airplane I heard was a TWA who was heading back to Sacramento.

 

There was an undercast that day, so when we got under it I made an announcement to the passengers, who clearly knew something was up that we were over the Sacrament Valley returning to SFO, there was nothing wrong with the airplane and an agent would explain once we landed.

 

During this twenty five mins or so, I received a bunch of messages from the company verifying it was actually me flying the airplane, including one where they asked for a password I had no idea they had knowledge of. I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

Came over the San Mateo Bridge and noticed what looked like 30 emergency/police vehicles on the parallel taxiway. I landed, they all chased me to the gate and a bunch of them with weapons drawn were below us on the ramp.

Got to the hotel and found out that along with the other three crashes, American 77, Dulles to LA, a trip that I had flown for two years just prior to taking the check airman position had hit the Pentagon. Knew all of them.

Got a call from the FBI in the early afternoon asking me if I saw any unusual passengers as they de-planed. I told them I wasn’t watching.

A true horror story.

Edited September 2, 2021 by sherpa

[nucci]

24 minutes ago, The Avenger said:

Normal airport logistics are an incredible feat, but what happened on 9/11 and the ability to quickly shut everything down was amazing - being a part of that industry and undertaking must have been quite the experience. 

it was amazing how quickly it happened. 10am was a busy time for departures at that time. I was driving around checking on things and the quiet was very errie

[ExiledInIllinois]

Loading the car up with my pregnant wife, and 3 year old son in South Cheektowaga,  neighbor came out and said the buildings were crashed into.  Boy, that was a surreal drive back to Illinois!

[RobbRiddick]

46 minutes ago, sherpa said:

I was a 767 check captain. In that position you train new captains and first officers and certify them on regular passenger flights before they start actually flying schedules. I left New York the afternoon prior and was in San Francisco. We left San Francisco on the return leg at 6am.

 

I had just finished the mandatory “seat belt” announcement when you reach cruise altitude, and were just east of Fallon Nevada. I saw the printer start printing a message. The company communicates in flight through a data link system that prints their messages. The message said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow the door to be opened.” Pretty strange message, so I read it and put it away without saying anything to the new co-pilot I was with.

A few minutes later, I got another message that said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Defend the cockpit at all cost. Suggest divert.”

 

I had been based in San Francisco my years as a first officer, and one of my old friends was going to NY so I told him to come up when we hit cruise so I could check up on old friends. He had just arrived and was sitting in the jumpseat. I told him something is going on, and asked him to listen to an AM station. The airplane has the ability to hear the am freq range. He told me that they were saying there had been multiple hijackings and suicide hits on the World Trade Center, and  they thought there were more to come. 767’s and 757’s, the two planes I was a check captain on.

There is a way to get all the flight attendants on the phone at the same time, so I  did that and explained the situation and had them block the cockpit door with service carts and two males guard the area, jumpseater behind me with the crash axe and fire extinguisher to get anyone trying to get in.

 

Told air traffic that we needed to divert to San Francisco, turned the thing around and started back. Fortunately, I was a west coast Navy pilot while in the military, so I knew all the bases and airports available in case something happened. Pushed the airplane up to max speed, .85 mach and started back.

Absolutely nothing from air traffic control. In fact the only other airplane I heard was a TWA who was heading back to Sacramento.

 

There was an undercast that day, so when we got under it I made an announcement to the passengers, who clearly knew something was up that we were over the Sacrament Valley returning to SFO, there was nothing wrong with the airplane and an agent would explain once we landed.

 

During this twenty five mins or so, I received a bunch of messages from the company verifying it was actually me flying the airplane, including one where they asked for a password I had no idea they had knowledge of. I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

Came over the San Mateo Bridge and noticed what looked like 30 emergency/police vehicles on the parallel taxiway. I landed, they all chased me to the gate and a bunch of them with weapons drawn were below us on the ramp.

Got to the hotel and found out that along with the other three crashes, American 77, Dulles to LA, a trip that I had flown for two years just prior to taking the check airman position had hit the Pentagon. Knew all of them.

Got a call from the FBI in the early afternoon asking me if I saw any unusual passengers as they de-planed. I told them I wasn’t watching.

A true horror story.

 

Wow, this is an incredible read. The part about attendants blocking the door with carts is pretty chilling. 

 

My nephew who was just a kid back then, asked me at the time why they didn't have locks on the doors and I said people just didn't comprehend that people could do that sort of thing. I read an article that said up until 9/11 crew were always ordered to never try and stop a hijacking as a vast majority of them would end without civilian casualties. 

 

You'd obviously know more about that than I do

 

 

[sherpa]

5 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

 

Wow, this is an incredible read. The part about attendants blocking the door with carts is pretty chilling. 

 

My nephew who was just a kid back then, asked me at the time why they didn't have locks on the doors and I said people just didn't comprehend that people could do that sort of thing. I read an article that said up until 9/11 crew were always ordered to never try and stop a hijacking as a vast majority of them would end without civilian casualties. 

 

You'd obviously know more about that than I do

 

 

 

They did have locks on the cockpit door, and they were always locked in flight.

The doors were designed to be able to open with about 50 pounds of force. Not a lot.

This was done to ensure that if a mishap occurred, people could get in without super effort.

Things are vastly different now.

 

The way entry was made varies in each of the four instances.

There were no "orders" on how to handle attempted hijackings.

There were protocols but it is at the discretion of the captain.

[The Avenger]

1 hour ago, sherpa said:

I was a 767 check captain. In that position you train new captains and first officers and certify them on regular passenger flights before they start actually flying schedules. I left New York the afternoon prior and was in San Francisco. We left San Francisco on the return leg at 6am.

 

I had just finished the mandatory “seat belt” announcement when you reach cruise altitude, and were just east of Fallon Nevada. I saw the printer start printing a message. The company communicates in flight through a data link system that prints their messages. The message said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow the door to be opened.” Pretty strange message, so I read it and put it away without saying anything to the new co-pilot I was with.

A few minutes later, I got another message that said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Defend the cockpit at all cost. Suggest divert.”

 

I had been based in San Francisco my years as a first officer, and one of my old friends was going to NY so I told him to come up when we hit cruise so I could check up on old friends. He had just arrived and was sitting in the jumpseat. I told him something is going on, and asked him to listen to an AM station. The airplane has the ability to hear the am freq range. He told me that they were saying there had been multiple hijackings and suicide hits on the World Trade Center, and  they thought there were more to come. 767’s and 757’s, the two planes I was a check captain on.

There is a way to get all the flight attendants on the phone at the same time, so I  did that and explained the situation and had them block the cockpit door with service carts and two males guard the area, jumpseater behind me with the crash axe and fire extinguisher to get anyone trying to get in.

 

Told air traffic that we needed to divert to San Francisco, turned the thing around and started back. Fortunately, I was a west coast Navy pilot while in the military, so I knew all the bases and airports available in case something happened. Pushed the airplane up to max speed, .85 mach and started back.

Absolutely nothing from air traffic control. In fact the only other airplane I heard was a TWA who was heading back to Sacramento.

 

There was an undercast that day, so when we got under it I made an announcement to the passengers, who clearly knew something was up that we were over the Sacrament Valley returning to SFO, there was nothing wrong with the airplane and an agent would explain once we landed.

 

During this twenty five mins or so, I received a bunch of messages from the company verifying it was actually me flying the airplane, including one where they asked for a password I had no idea they had knowledge of. I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

Came over the San Mateo Bridge and noticed what looked like 30 emergency/police vehicles on the parallel taxiway. I landed, they all chased me to the gate and a bunch of them with weapons drawn were below us on the ramp.

Got to the hotel and found out that along with the other three crashes, American 77, Dulles to LA, a trip that I had flown for two years just prior to taking the check airman position had hit the Pentagon. Knew all of them.

Got a call from the FBI in the early afternoon asking me if I saw any unusual passengers as they de-planed. I told them I wasn’t watching.

A true horror story.

Wow - this is an amazing story - to hear from someone in a position such as yours on that day is incredible - thanks for sharing!

[Patrick Duffy]

1 hour ago, sherpa said:

I was a 767 check captain. In that position you train new captains and first officers and certify them on regular passenger flights before they start actually flying schedules. I left New York the afternoon prior and was in San Francisco. We left San Francisco on the return leg at 6am.

 

I had just finished the mandatory “seat belt” announcement when you reach cruise altitude, and were just east of Fallon Nevada. I saw the printer start printing a message. The company communicates in flight through a data link system that prints their messages. The message said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow the door to be opened.” Pretty strange message, so I read it and put it away without saying anything to the new co-pilot I was with.

A few minutes later, I got another message that said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Defend the cockpit at all cost. Suggest divert.”

 

I had been based in San Francisco my years as a first officer, and one of my old friends was going to NY so I told him to come up when we hit cruise so I could check up on old friends. He had just arrived and was sitting in the jumpseat. I told him something is going on, and asked him to listen to an AM station. The airplane has the ability to hear the am freq range. He told me that they were saying there had been multiple hijackings and suicide hits on the World Trade Center, and  they thought there were more to come. 767’s and 757’s, the two planes I was a check captain on.

There is a way to get all the flight attendants on the phone at the same time, so I  did that and explained the situation and had them block the cockpit door with service carts and two males guard the area, jumpseater behind me with the crash axe and fire extinguisher to get anyone trying to get in.

 

Told air traffic that we needed to divert to San Francisco, turned the thing around and started back. Fortunately, I was a west coast Navy pilot while in the military, so I knew all the bases and airports available in case something happened. Pushed the airplane up to max speed, .85 mach and started back.

Absolutely nothing from air traffic control. In fact the only other airplane I heard was a TWA who was heading back to Sacramento.

 

There was an undercast that day, so when we got under it I made an announcement to the passengers, who clearly knew something was up that we were over the Sacrament Valley returning to SFO, there was nothing wrong with the airplane and an agent would explain once we landed.

 

During this twenty five mins or so, I received a bunch of messages from the company verifying it was actually me flying the airplane, including one where they asked for a password I had no idea they had knowledge of. I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

Came over the San Mateo Bridge and noticed what looked like 30 emergency/police vehicles on the parallel taxiway. I landed, they all chased me to the gate and a bunch of them with weapons drawn were below us on the ramp.

Got to the hotel and found out that along with the other three crashes, American 77, Dulles to LA, a trip that I had flown for two years just prior to taking the check airman position had hit the Pentagon. Knew all of them.

Got a call from the FBI in the early afternoon asking me if I saw any unusual passengers as they de-planed. I told them I wasn’t watching.

A true horror story.

 

Yeah I imagine it was pretty intense. You were basically in the thick of everything. I'm sure in your mind you thought for a very long time how it could have easily been you and your plane. 

[BuffaloBud]

Was working for Square D / Schneider Electric in Raleigh NC.  Normal day - big multi-plant operations review going on.  Heard the news from someone walking by my desk.  Switched over to TBD and WGR radio.  The plant leadership team hustled to get a couple of vans rented and they drove back to Columbia / Seneca SC, Ashville NC and Louisville KY.  Sent text to wife to fill car up with gas.  Nothing got done past noon - left early.  First thing I did was put my flag up.

 

Still remember the individual that was a frequent poster on TBD and his account of leaving the area and of getting home.

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 minutes ago, BuffaloBud said:

Was working for Square D / Schneider Electric in Raleigh NC.  Normal day - big multi-plant operations review going on.  Heard the news from someone walking by my desk.  Switched over to TBD and WGR radio.  The plant leadership team hustled to get a couple of vans rented and they drove back to Columbia / Seneca SC, Ashville NC and Louisville KY.  Sent text to wife to fill car up with gas.  Nothing got done past noon - left early.  First thing I did was put my flag up.

 

Still remember the individual that was a frequent poster on TBD and his account of leaving the area and of getting home.

SideBar: Is Square D manufacturing still made in the US 🇺🇸?