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A Year Ago - Remembering Flying on 09/11
- Thread starter FurloughedAgain
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DenverDude2002
Ramp Rat
- Joined
- May 17, 2003
- Posts
- 590
Good story FurloughedAgain. I can still remember every second of 9/11. I know I'm not a commercial pilot and back then I was just a huge fan who loved aviation. I was in my senior year in high school, and didnt have to be at class until 11, so i was planning on sleeping until about 10:30 as usual. At 9am my mom woke me up and said there had been a plane crash and to come watch the news asap. Being gorggy I had just assumed it was mayne another TWA 800 or EgyptAir 390. I got downstairs and saw what had happened and almost went into shock. Right as i turned it on the 2nd plane hit. I just couldnt believe what had happened. I realized at that moment the first plane struck the world had changed forever.I went to school shortly after (I was the business department aide and had access to come and go as i pleased) and turned on a TV we had there, the school hadnt heard about it yet. There I wacthed until class started, and the class voted that we watch what was happening instead of regular stuff and our teacher agreed. The principal said that evrryone was to turn off their tvs but my class insisted we needed to see it. I still cant beleieve to this day what happened or that it was 2 years ago. I live under denver international approach and for those 3 days there werent any aircraft flying over head it felt wierd. It didnt feel right. I had just flown in august to see a good friend in virginia and used to go to dia to plane spot on the concourses most weekends. My GF and me even ditched prom to go there since we both loved aviation in May 2001. It still feels wierd thinking about how much everything has changed since those few seconds changed the world forever.
It was about 8:45 AM when I was lifting the nose of the C172 I was training in that day off the ground. I had a weird feeling about that day. I was running late, my instructor showed late, nothing was going the way it was supposed to. As we were climbing out on the extended centerline I began to notice the engine hum that I had grown used to was different. I told my instructor I was turning around and bringing the plane back to the ground before the cowling vibrated off. As I turned off the runway, a radio call came over the CTAF, stating that all the school's aircraft had to return to the airport. My instructor and I looked at each other puzzled. We walked through the door of the flight desk and asked what was going. We were told that a small plane had just hit the WTC. I chuckled and said "rrrrrright", but no one else laughed. I walked over to the classroom that had a TV and there on CNN I saw a smoking hole in the No 1. Tower and I nearly fell over. I sat in front of the TV and watched the rest of the days events with tears in my eyes.
At 3:00 pm I had to be at work in the Signature Ramp Tower at ORD, where I was used to barking out push back instructions and dealing with Operations Supervisors all day long. I was greeted by silence. No APU's, no ground vehicles, nothing. That brought me to my knees. Here I was, at the world's busiest airport and I could hear a cricket chirping from outside.
I will always remember. I will not remember because of the terrorists, rather I will remember because on that day, amongst all diversities everyone who lives in America finally acted like Americans. Black, White, Asian, Democrat, Republican, Jew, Prostestant didn't matter. We were all American for once.
At 3:00 pm I had to be at work in the Signature Ramp Tower at ORD, where I was used to barking out push back instructions and dealing with Operations Supervisors all day long. I was greeted by silence. No APU's, no ground vehicles, nothing. That brought me to my knees. Here I was, at the world's busiest airport and I could hear a cricket chirping from outside.
I will always remember. I will not remember because of the terrorists, rather I will remember because on that day, amongst all diversities everyone who lives in America finally acted like Americans. Black, White, Asian, Democrat, Republican, Jew, Prostestant didn't matter. We were all American for once.
ArcticFlier
SpdmodehdgmodebugV21/2bnk
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2002
- Posts
- 901
A Chronology
Thoughts and Recollections From 9/11/01
We showed for work in OXR at 0555. It was supposed to be an easy day (OXR-LAX-VIS-LAX-PSP) and I was flying with a good crew. The F/O was pretty new, but flew the airplane well. The F/A I’d known for almost 9 years. She was hired almost a year after me, and had worked in another department before becoming a flight attendant.
I’m not one for early morning flying, but it was a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky. Fifteen minutes before, the FAA notified North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Northeast Air Defense Sector of the possible hijacking of AA 11, which had departed Boston Logan for Los Angeles. It had 92 people on board. Three minutes later NORAD was notified about the possible hijacking of another aircraft. In addition to AA 11, UAL 175 had also departed Boston for Los Angeles with 65 people on board, AA 77 was airborne from Dulles to Los Angeles with 64 on board, and UAL 93 was winging its way from Newark to San Francisco with 44 people. While we were in the van, on the way to the airport, AA 11 was flown into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Seventeen minutes later, while I was probably starting the APU on N194SW, UAL 175 impacted the south tower of the World Trade Center.
Unbeknownst to me until almost a week later a long-time family friend was supposed to be on AA 11. She finished work at U-Mass a day early and left Boston on 9/10.
After taxiing out and getting our clearance from either Point Mugu or ZLA, I don’t remember which, we departed for LAX. We took the runway at 0622, departing to the west over the ocean. About a minute later, ATC cleared us via a left turn direct VTU and the Sadde arrival into LAX. My F/O and I made mention of how smooth it was that morning, enjoying the peace and serenity of an early morning flight. Meanwhile, the FAA had banned all takeoffs for flights either going to or through New York airspace and all bridges and tunnels into and out of Manhattan were closed.
Two minutes after we departed, NORAD was notified of the suspected hijacking of AA 77, and two minutes after that, no civilian aircraft were allowed in the air.
About the time that we crossed VTU and turned towards SMO, I got the ATIS for LAX. Typical morning I thought. Trying to fog up, but not quite enough moisture in the air. Maybe we’ll get a visual. Any visual is good, but the south side would be great, as we park on that side of the airport, and it would give us time to run inside and get a cup of coffee. Oh yeah…………call ops.
“LA 5133”
“5133 LA go ahead”
“5133’s ten out and we need one wheel chair”
“Copy the wheel chair. Your fuel to Visalia is 4200, but I don’t think you’re going”
“Alright, 4200. What row do you want us in?”
“Row two”
“Okay, row two. Why aren’t we going to Visalia?”
“There’s a national ground stop. No one is flying.”
“Umm, okay. We’ll talk about it on the ground.”
AA 77 hits the Pentagon.
We had no idea what had happened back east. I went back to Comm 1 and let the F/O know that I was back. No changes, he said. I told him about the fuel load, and where we were parking, and told him about the strange conversation with ops. It had me puzzled. I can understand a ground stop to a particular airport, but nationwide? I told my F/O that I was off again. I wanted more information from ops. I called ops back and asked what was going on. She said that an aircraft had hit the World Trade Center. I was stunned. I know a B-25 hit the Empire State Building during or just after World War II, but I couldn’t believe in this day that an airplane could wander off course and hit a building. I went back to Comm 1 and relayed to my F/O what I was told. After about a minute of disbelief, silence from both of us.
We switched over to SoCal with the ATIS and that we have the airport in sight. It was one of those schmeggy mornings. Vis was 5 in mist if I remember right. From over SMO we were cleared for the visual to 25R. Cool, we say out loud. Close to the Box, where we park. At 0645 the FAA orders all aircraft on the ground. We were one of 4500 aircraft in the air at the time, absolutely clueless to what was going on. At 0648, the U.S. Capitol and the West Wing of the White House are evacuated.
This is no joke, and still kind of creeps me out to this day. We touched down on 25R at 0659, the same time the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. We cleared the runway, called ground for taxi clearance to the Box, and made a comment about how quiet it was. The controller replied with “bad things happening back east”, and cleared us to the Box.
We pulled into the gate and shut everything down, as our flight to VIS was cancelled. We closed the main cabin door and I turned my cell phone on. I had eight messages. I’d never had that many messages in my life! Half of them are my wife, mostly in tears. The rest were friends and other family members. All I could get out of them are a plane hit a building, and call me as soon as you get this message.
We walked into the crew lounge, having called my wife. I didn’t know what to say to her, except that I loved her (still do), and I would call her as soon as I knew what was going to happen. I hung up the phone, opened the door to the lounge and saw a replay of the south tower going down. I wanted to think it was a movie, but knew that wasn’t the case. What I said out loud isn’t for mixed company, but was appropriate for the moment, in my mind anyway.
It wasn’t clear at that time, but it had been reported that the Pentagon had been hit by an airplane. Besides what had already happened, seeing things unfold, one airplane after another was unnerving. On top of the reports regarding the Pentagon, reports were coming in that another airplane had gone down in a field in Pennsylvania. That’s four airplanes. How many more was the question going around the crew lounge. There must have been 40 people in there and if it wasn’t for the television, you would have heard a pin drop.
There’s more to the story of our day two years ago, but it still and always will be trivial. Almost 3000 people died because some people in this world don’t like us nor do they like the freedoms we cherish. They are threatened by them. If they had what we hold dear, their power would be non-existent.
Let us not forget September 11. May it burn in our hearts as fiercely as the hatred that exists towards us.
ArcticFlier
Thoughts and Recollections From 9/11/01
We showed for work in OXR at 0555. It was supposed to be an easy day (OXR-LAX-VIS-LAX-PSP) and I was flying with a good crew. The F/O was pretty new, but flew the airplane well. The F/A I’d known for almost 9 years. She was hired almost a year after me, and had worked in another department before becoming a flight attendant.
I’m not one for early morning flying, but it was a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky. Fifteen minutes before, the FAA notified North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Northeast Air Defense Sector of the possible hijacking of AA 11, which had departed Boston Logan for Los Angeles. It had 92 people on board. Three minutes later NORAD was notified about the possible hijacking of another aircraft. In addition to AA 11, UAL 175 had also departed Boston for Los Angeles with 65 people on board, AA 77 was airborne from Dulles to Los Angeles with 64 on board, and UAL 93 was winging its way from Newark to San Francisco with 44 people. While we were in the van, on the way to the airport, AA 11 was flown into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Seventeen minutes later, while I was probably starting the APU on N194SW, UAL 175 impacted the south tower of the World Trade Center.
Unbeknownst to me until almost a week later a long-time family friend was supposed to be on AA 11. She finished work at U-Mass a day early and left Boston on 9/10.
After taxiing out and getting our clearance from either Point Mugu or ZLA, I don’t remember which, we departed for LAX. We took the runway at 0622, departing to the west over the ocean. About a minute later, ATC cleared us via a left turn direct VTU and the Sadde arrival into LAX. My F/O and I made mention of how smooth it was that morning, enjoying the peace and serenity of an early morning flight. Meanwhile, the FAA had banned all takeoffs for flights either going to or through New York airspace and all bridges and tunnels into and out of Manhattan were closed.
Two minutes after we departed, NORAD was notified of the suspected hijacking of AA 77, and two minutes after that, no civilian aircraft were allowed in the air.
About the time that we crossed VTU and turned towards SMO, I got the ATIS for LAX. Typical morning I thought. Trying to fog up, but not quite enough moisture in the air. Maybe we’ll get a visual. Any visual is good, but the south side would be great, as we park on that side of the airport, and it would give us time to run inside and get a cup of coffee. Oh yeah…………call ops.
“LA 5133”
“5133 LA go ahead”
“5133’s ten out and we need one wheel chair”
“Copy the wheel chair. Your fuel to Visalia is 4200, but I don’t think you’re going”
“Alright, 4200. What row do you want us in?”
“Row two”
“Okay, row two. Why aren’t we going to Visalia?”
“There’s a national ground stop. No one is flying.”
“Umm, okay. We’ll talk about it on the ground.”
AA 77 hits the Pentagon.
We had no idea what had happened back east. I went back to Comm 1 and let the F/O know that I was back. No changes, he said. I told him about the fuel load, and where we were parking, and told him about the strange conversation with ops. It had me puzzled. I can understand a ground stop to a particular airport, but nationwide? I told my F/O that I was off again. I wanted more information from ops. I called ops back and asked what was going on. She said that an aircraft had hit the World Trade Center. I was stunned. I know a B-25 hit the Empire State Building during or just after World War II, but I couldn’t believe in this day that an airplane could wander off course and hit a building. I went back to Comm 1 and relayed to my F/O what I was told. After about a minute of disbelief, silence from both of us.
We switched over to SoCal with the ATIS and that we have the airport in sight. It was one of those schmeggy mornings. Vis was 5 in mist if I remember right. From over SMO we were cleared for the visual to 25R. Cool, we say out loud. Close to the Box, where we park. At 0645 the FAA orders all aircraft on the ground. We were one of 4500 aircraft in the air at the time, absolutely clueless to what was going on. At 0648, the U.S. Capitol and the West Wing of the White House are evacuated.
This is no joke, and still kind of creeps me out to this day. We touched down on 25R at 0659, the same time the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. We cleared the runway, called ground for taxi clearance to the Box, and made a comment about how quiet it was. The controller replied with “bad things happening back east”, and cleared us to the Box.
We pulled into the gate and shut everything down, as our flight to VIS was cancelled. We closed the main cabin door and I turned my cell phone on. I had eight messages. I’d never had that many messages in my life! Half of them are my wife, mostly in tears. The rest were friends and other family members. All I could get out of them are a plane hit a building, and call me as soon as you get this message.
We walked into the crew lounge, having called my wife. I didn’t know what to say to her, except that I loved her (still do), and I would call her as soon as I knew what was going to happen. I hung up the phone, opened the door to the lounge and saw a replay of the south tower going down. I wanted to think it was a movie, but knew that wasn’t the case. What I said out loud isn’t for mixed company, but was appropriate for the moment, in my mind anyway.
It wasn’t clear at that time, but it had been reported that the Pentagon had been hit by an airplane. Besides what had already happened, seeing things unfold, one airplane after another was unnerving. On top of the reports regarding the Pentagon, reports were coming in that another airplane had gone down in a field in Pennsylvania. That’s four airplanes. How many more was the question going around the crew lounge. There must have been 40 people in there and if it wasn’t for the television, you would have heard a pin drop.
There’s more to the story of our day two years ago, but it still and always will be trivial. Almost 3000 people died because some people in this world don’t like us nor do they like the freedoms we cherish. They are threatened by them. If they had what we hold dear, their power would be non-existent.
Let us not forget September 11. May it burn in our hearts as fiercely as the hatred that exists towards us.
ArcticFlier
Freightdog75
Don't hassle the Hoff
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2002
- Posts
- 281
banned username 2
Banned User
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2001
- Posts
- 3,254
Monday evening, September 10, 2001 I flew into Newark in an AA F-100. Heading for Falcon 50EX recurrent like I had many times before. We got into EWR just after a line of heavy storms had passed, a cold front was passing and the sky was clearing. Tomorrow was going to be a beautiful day, or so I thought.
Tuesday Morning, up early to catch some breakfast at the Concierge Lounge at the Glenpointe Marriott... I sat eating my breakfast with a great view of Manhatten, it was one of those crystal clear autumn mornings. I check my watch, 7:30am, time to fight the traffic on 17 to get to Flight Safety...
8:00am class begins... The instructor is a familiar face... I have know Mickey for years, since my Falcon 20 days... Good guy... Class starts after we joke a bit and exchange greetings... Nothing too exciting, Chapter 2, the Electrical System... for the millionth time... "When's Lunch?" I think to myself quietly...
At about 9:00am one of the girls from the front area comes running down the hall and says a plane hit the World Trade Center... We all look at each other and figure someone in a Cessna or Piper hit the building, "Probably some nut case commiting suicide" we joke... "Break Time" Mick says and we all decide to go up front to see what is going on...
The local news station is on, we all stand there in disbelief of the images of the blazing building, we quickly realize this was larger than a Cessna, much larger. Standing in puzzlement, we can't figure out how a plane of this size hit the building on a crystal clear day. We didn't know what type of plane it was, but assumed something the size of a Corporate Jet... Maybe a Hawker or something...
We are all mezmerized by the live footage from the news helicopter on the TV, this building was in bad shape, "How are they going to get that out?" someone mumbles from behind me.
9:03am: As we are watching TV there is a quick glimpse of a large 737-looking aircraft that enters the right side of the screen, as soon as it hits the building the TV we are watching goes to static. "Was that a re-run?" someone shouts... Someone else says "Yeah, it had to be a rerun, they must have caught the whole thing on tape"... I turned around to about 10 people watching and said "If it was a rerun, why was the building on fire BEFORE the plane hit?" Everyone fell silent... A quick scramble through the stations and we get CNN on, images of both buildings blazing hit the screen, everyone gasps... This wasn't an accident, not even close.
The Center Manager tries to marshall everyone back to their classrooms. We go back in and try to discuss what we just saw... At about 9:45am I get a text message from a buddy back home that the Pentagon has been hit, I tell Mick... Class Dismissed... We find ourselves out in the lobby again watching TV...
I call my wife, who was in a breakfast meeting, I told her to get home and stay home. She asked what was going on, they hadn't even heard. She was so preoccupied with her meeting that I don't think she totally understood the gravity of what I was telling her.
I go back to the TV, watching the images of two enormous skyscrapers engulfed in smoke and fire. You can see people jumping from the upper floors.
A little while later, people are on the roof of Flight Safety, you can see Manhatten from there. Also from the back corner of the sim bay, there is a stairway with a large window that looks out over Manhatten. People are flocking to see the smoke which is only a couple miles away.
I call my wife again, making sure she is on her way and trying to fill her in on the events that are occuring here. At 10:05am while I am on the phone with my wife, the South Tower collapses. Someone comes running down the hall screaming "The building collapsed!" I tell my wife I love her and quickly end the call. I run to the TV to see the huge cloud of dust created by 250,000 tons of building falling in on itself. My God, I think... there is no way everyone got out of that building.
10:10am... I am standing, staring at the odd view of one World Trade Center building standing. It looks very strange, all alone, shrouded in the dust & ashes of it's sibling. This doesn't seem real, is this really happening...
10:20am I decide to head to the back sim bay on the upper staircase which lends a perfect view of lower Manhatten. I am standing there with another student, speechless. He looks at me, his face is expressionless, he looks like a mummy... After a minute, he slowly walks away like a zombie. I find myself standing there alone, watching this horror unfold. I ponder to myself about the fate of the North Tower as I stand and watch it burn. "Is this one going to fall too?" I think to myself. I check my watch, 10:28am. As I look back up, I see a puff blow out in a ring around the North Tower, the tower begins it's journey down. I am standing there, helpless, watching a thousand people die, instantly before my eyes in real-life, real-time. I have never felt more alone, or helpless in my life. I stood silently in disbelief for what felt like an eternity. My silence was broken by an announcement over the intercom system notifying us we must all leave the building immediately, the center was closed until further notice.
I spent the rest of the day either glued to my TV or in the Concierge Lounge at the Glenpointe Marriott staring at the smoking rubble in lower Manhatten. Highway 95 outside the hotel is deserted. The George Washington Bridge into Manhatten is closed and the road is blocked, not a car in sight. There isn't even any traffic on the local roads. It reminded me of sceens from the Stephan King movie the Langoliers. This thriving metropolis was a ghost town. Only an occasional Police Cruiser is seen. The sky was empty, the roads were empty, the world had changed, forever.
It is a day I will never forget. It is a day that no American should ever forget. It is a day that will define our history and shape our future, and our childrens future.
God Bless America and all those who perished in the senseless events of September 11, 2001.
Tuesday Morning, up early to catch some breakfast at the Concierge Lounge at the Glenpointe Marriott... I sat eating my breakfast with a great view of Manhatten, it was one of those crystal clear autumn mornings. I check my watch, 7:30am, time to fight the traffic on 17 to get to Flight Safety...
8:00am class begins... The instructor is a familiar face... I have know Mickey for years, since my Falcon 20 days... Good guy... Class starts after we joke a bit and exchange greetings... Nothing too exciting, Chapter 2, the Electrical System... for the millionth time... "When's Lunch?" I think to myself quietly...
At about 9:00am one of the girls from the front area comes running down the hall and says a plane hit the World Trade Center... We all look at each other and figure someone in a Cessna or Piper hit the building, "Probably some nut case commiting suicide" we joke... "Break Time" Mick says and we all decide to go up front to see what is going on...
The local news station is on, we all stand there in disbelief of the images of the blazing building, we quickly realize this was larger than a Cessna, much larger. Standing in puzzlement, we can't figure out how a plane of this size hit the building on a crystal clear day. We didn't know what type of plane it was, but assumed something the size of a Corporate Jet... Maybe a Hawker or something...
We are all mezmerized by the live footage from the news helicopter on the TV, this building was in bad shape, "How are they going to get that out?" someone mumbles from behind me.
9:03am: As we are watching TV there is a quick glimpse of a large 737-looking aircraft that enters the right side of the screen, as soon as it hits the building the TV we are watching goes to static. "Was that a re-run?" someone shouts... Someone else says "Yeah, it had to be a rerun, they must have caught the whole thing on tape"... I turned around to about 10 people watching and said "If it was a rerun, why was the building on fire BEFORE the plane hit?" Everyone fell silent... A quick scramble through the stations and we get CNN on, images of both buildings blazing hit the screen, everyone gasps... This wasn't an accident, not even close.
The Center Manager tries to marshall everyone back to their classrooms. We go back in and try to discuss what we just saw... At about 9:45am I get a text message from a buddy back home that the Pentagon has been hit, I tell Mick... Class Dismissed... We find ourselves out in the lobby again watching TV...
I call my wife, who was in a breakfast meeting, I told her to get home and stay home. She asked what was going on, they hadn't even heard. She was so preoccupied with her meeting that I don't think she totally understood the gravity of what I was telling her.
I go back to the TV, watching the images of two enormous skyscrapers engulfed in smoke and fire. You can see people jumping from the upper floors.
A little while later, people are on the roof of Flight Safety, you can see Manhatten from there. Also from the back corner of the sim bay, there is a stairway with a large window that looks out over Manhatten. People are flocking to see the smoke which is only a couple miles away.
I call my wife again, making sure she is on her way and trying to fill her in on the events that are occuring here. At 10:05am while I am on the phone with my wife, the South Tower collapses. Someone comes running down the hall screaming "The building collapsed!" I tell my wife I love her and quickly end the call. I run to the TV to see the huge cloud of dust created by 250,000 tons of building falling in on itself. My God, I think... there is no way everyone got out of that building.
10:10am... I am standing, staring at the odd view of one World Trade Center building standing. It looks very strange, all alone, shrouded in the dust & ashes of it's sibling. This doesn't seem real, is this really happening...
10:20am I decide to head to the back sim bay on the upper staircase which lends a perfect view of lower Manhatten. I am standing there with another student, speechless. He looks at me, his face is expressionless, he looks like a mummy... After a minute, he slowly walks away like a zombie. I find myself standing there alone, watching this horror unfold. I ponder to myself about the fate of the North Tower as I stand and watch it burn. "Is this one going to fall too?" I think to myself. I check my watch, 10:28am. As I look back up, I see a puff blow out in a ring around the North Tower, the tower begins it's journey down. I am standing there, helpless, watching a thousand people die, instantly before my eyes in real-life, real-time. I have never felt more alone, or helpless in my life. I stood silently in disbelief for what felt like an eternity. My silence was broken by an announcement over the intercom system notifying us we must all leave the building immediately, the center was closed until further notice.
I spent the rest of the day either glued to my TV or in the Concierge Lounge at the Glenpointe Marriott staring at the smoking rubble in lower Manhatten. Highway 95 outside the hotel is deserted. The George Washington Bridge into Manhatten is closed and the road is blocked, not a car in sight. There isn't even any traffic on the local roads. It reminded me of sceens from the Stephan King movie the Langoliers. This thriving metropolis was a ghost town. Only an occasional Police Cruiser is seen. The sky was empty, the roads were empty, the world had changed, forever.
It is a day I will never forget. It is a day that no American should ever forget. It is a day that will define our history and shape our future, and our childrens future.
God Bless America and all those who perished in the senseless events of September 11, 2001.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2003
- Posts
- 1,178
dispatchguy
Dad is my favorite title
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2001
- Posts
- 1,569
I have my own memories of 9/11/01.
I was still in ground school at American Eagle dispatch, in OJT portion for Executive airlines. For us, the normal show time for day shift was 0300, but my OJT trainer and his wife had plans for the night before, so he did a trade and we had an 0800 show time that morning. I thought, cool, now I get to sleep in and feel human at work.
I woke up that morning in DFW and looked outside at the severe clear weather and thought that it was going to be a great day.
Get ready, and head into work. A radio show I have listened to for ever it seems (since high school) is on a DFW radio station, Bob and Tom - nothing like juvenile humor before heading into work.
Right when I pulled into the AA Flight Academy parking lot, Kristie, their news girl on B&T said that a newsflash had come across that a plane, size unknown, had crashed into one of the towers of the WTC. My immediate thought was a C172 or something of similar size went no-gyro in hard IFR and bounced off one of the WTC towers.
I log in and the first thing I do was type SLS*LGA, the SABRE command to display the sequence for LGA - it was 10 and clear. Hmmm, something's not good. I do the same for JFK, HPN, ISP, EWR and BDR and all were the same, 10 and clear.
About this time, the midnite shift for AA Dispatch is getting off shift, and one of them comes thru the Eagle SOC and stops by and talks to my trainer, and sez that somethings up with AA11 - that the Center Manager for AA SOC has locked the flight records out in SABRE right when he was walking out. I relate what I heard on B&T and we all look at each other with a holy-$hit.
Rocky, the dispatcher working the early morning Caribbean operation, gets a call from a friend of his saying that smoke is coming from a trade center tower. The printer spits an ATCSCC message about a ground stop for NY and DC centers from all centers.
A flight from ORD ACARSed his dispatcher telling him of the ground stop, when ATCSCC issues the following:
ATCSCC ADVZY 031 DCC 09/11/01 GROUND STOP ALL DEPARTURES
DESTINATION AIRPORT: ALL
FACILITIES INCLUDED: ALL
EXPECT UPDATE: 1500Z
REASON: DUE TO NATIONAL EMERGENCY, GROUND STOP ALL
DEPARTURES REGARDLESS OF DESTINATION........REPEAT
GROUND STOP ALL DEPARTURES
Since I wasnt signed off yet, I couldnt jump in and help. Rocky and my trainer called all of the caribbean flights and told them to land short, and stay out of San Juan centers airspace - since it was now closed. I called the stations and told them, to the limit of what we knew, that no one was going anywhere today.
My most vivid recollections of what I did that day was entering endless numbers of flight cancellations into SABRE for the Caribbean operation.
I still have the messages which shut the NAS down - tattered, but very important.
ATCSCC ADVZY 036 DCC 09/11/01 FDC SPECIAL NOTICE
DUE TO EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR REASONS OF SAFTEY(SIC). ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATORS, BY ORDER OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION COMMAND CENTER ALL AIRPORTS/AIRDROMES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR LANDING AND TAKEOFF. ALL TRAFFIC INCLUDING AIRBORNE TRAFFIC ARE ENCOURAGED TO LAND SHORTLY, INCLUDING ALL HELICOPTER TRAFFIC.
AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN FIREFIGHTING IN THE NORTHWEST US ARE EXCLUDED. PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE OVER THE EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES, AND VOR VOICE.
111505
May the crews and victims rest in the most peaceful of peaces, and may we NEVER EVER FORGET.
I was still in ground school at American Eagle dispatch, in OJT portion for Executive airlines. For us, the normal show time for day shift was 0300, but my OJT trainer and his wife had plans for the night before, so he did a trade and we had an 0800 show time that morning. I thought, cool, now I get to sleep in and feel human at work.
I woke up that morning in DFW and looked outside at the severe clear weather and thought that it was going to be a great day.
Get ready, and head into work. A radio show I have listened to for ever it seems (since high school) is on a DFW radio station, Bob and Tom - nothing like juvenile humor before heading into work.
Right when I pulled into the AA Flight Academy parking lot, Kristie, their news girl on B&T said that a newsflash had come across that a plane, size unknown, had crashed into one of the towers of the WTC. My immediate thought was a C172 or something of similar size went no-gyro in hard IFR and bounced off one of the WTC towers.
I log in and the first thing I do was type SLS*LGA, the SABRE command to display the sequence for LGA - it was 10 and clear. Hmmm, something's not good. I do the same for JFK, HPN, ISP, EWR and BDR and all were the same, 10 and clear.
About this time, the midnite shift for AA Dispatch is getting off shift, and one of them comes thru the Eagle SOC and stops by and talks to my trainer, and sez that somethings up with AA11 - that the Center Manager for AA SOC has locked the flight records out in SABRE right when he was walking out. I relate what I heard on B&T and we all look at each other with a holy-$hit.
Rocky, the dispatcher working the early morning Caribbean operation, gets a call from a friend of his saying that smoke is coming from a trade center tower. The printer spits an ATCSCC message about a ground stop for NY and DC centers from all centers.
A flight from ORD ACARSed his dispatcher telling him of the ground stop, when ATCSCC issues the following:
ATCSCC ADVZY 031 DCC 09/11/01 GROUND STOP ALL DEPARTURES
DESTINATION AIRPORT: ALL
FACILITIES INCLUDED: ALL
EXPECT UPDATE: 1500Z
REASON: DUE TO NATIONAL EMERGENCY, GROUND STOP ALL
DEPARTURES REGARDLESS OF DESTINATION........REPEAT
GROUND STOP ALL DEPARTURES
Since I wasnt signed off yet, I couldnt jump in and help. Rocky and my trainer called all of the caribbean flights and told them to land short, and stay out of San Juan centers airspace - since it was now closed. I called the stations and told them, to the limit of what we knew, that no one was going anywhere today.
My most vivid recollections of what I did that day was entering endless numbers of flight cancellations into SABRE for the Caribbean operation.
I still have the messages which shut the NAS down - tattered, but very important.
ATCSCC ADVZY 036 DCC 09/11/01 FDC SPECIAL NOTICE
DUE TO EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOR REASONS OF SAFTEY(SIC). ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATORS, BY ORDER OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION COMMAND CENTER ALL AIRPORTS/AIRDROMES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR LANDING AND TAKEOFF. ALL TRAFFIC INCLUDING AIRBORNE TRAFFIC ARE ENCOURAGED TO LAND SHORTLY, INCLUDING ALL HELICOPTER TRAFFIC.
AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN FIREFIGHTING IN THE NORTHWEST US ARE EXCLUDED. PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE OVER THE EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES, AND VOR VOICE.
111505
May the crews and victims rest in the most peaceful of peaces, and may we NEVER EVER FORGET.
EagleRJ
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