American Airlines Flight 11

American Airlines Flight 11 was a domestic passenger flight that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The hijacked airliner was deliberately crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. The crash killed everyone aboard the flight and many people inside the building.

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 767-200ER with 92 passengers and crew. It was flying American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental service from Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts to Los Angeles International Airport in California.

The hijackers took control of the plane shortly after takeoff. They injured crew members and took over the cockpit, allowing lead hijacker Mohamed Atta to fly the plane. Atta flew the plane into the North Tower at 8:46 local time. The impact caused massive damage and fires, which later led to the collapse of the tower. This event was part of a series of attacks that day, marking one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in history.

Flight

The aircraft involved in the hijacking was a Boeing 767-200ER with registration number, N334AA built and delivered in 1987. The plane normally could carry 158 passengers, but on September 11 it had 81 passengers and 11 crew members.

All 92 people on board tragically lost their lives. Some of the passengers and crew were well-known, including television producer David Angell and actress Berry Berenson.

Hijacking

The 9/11 Commission reported that the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11 began around 8:14 AM when the pilots stopped responding to requests from the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center. Shortly after, the hijackers took control of the plane. By 8:20 AM, the hijackers were in full control, and the plane's transponder signal was turned off.

Flight attendants contacted American Airlines and reported that the hijackers had attacked crew members. The hijackers then locked themselves in the cockpit. During the hijacking, the hijacker Mohamed Atta made announcements to air traffic controllers, pretending the plane was returning to the airport. Air traffic controllers tried to contact the plane but received no response. Fighter jets were dispatched to intercept the plane, but they took off after Flight 11 had already crashed.

Crash

At 8:37 a.m., Flight 11 began to descend rapidly toward New York City. Three minutes before impact, the plane turned toward Manhattan and flew toward the World Trade Center. At 08:46, the plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

The airplane struck the north side of the tower between the 93rd and 99th floors. The crash killed everyone on the plane and many people inside the building. The impact also caused fires to start in the tower. The crash severely damaged stairwells in the tower, making it very difficult for people above the crash site to escape. Many people in the city saw what happened and some recorded the event on camera or audio. News stations quickly began reporting the crash.

Aftermath

Main article: Aftermath of the September 11 attacks

After the crash, the North Tower burned for 102 minutes before collapsing. The fire caused by jet fuel was blamed for the structural failure of the tower. Hundreds of rescue workers died when the tower collapsed. The North Tower stood for nearly twice as long after being struck as the South Tower.

Rescue workers began finding remains of Flight 11 victims within days of the attack. Over time, medical examiners identified the remains of many victims from the flight. Investigators also found important items that helped them understand the attack. The flight number for the same route is now flown using a different airplane, and an American flag is displayed at the departure gate to remember those lost. The names of the victims of Flight 11 are inscribed at the National September 11 Memorial.