Wikipedia

Draft:Air traffic control during the September 11 attacks

Citations: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Air traffic control, in particular those of Newark Liberty International Airport and NORAD, played a major role in maintaining order and grounding flights during the September 11 attacks. Controllers made contact with all four hijacked aircraft prior to the attacks, and two made contact with the hijackers themselves.

National Air Traffic Controllers Association described the day as "the single greatest feat in all of ATC history".

Communications with hijacked flights

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American Airlines Flight 11

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A Boston TRACON air traffic controller communicated with American Airlines Flight 11 until 8:13:52, when last known contact with the aircraft was made prior to it being hijacked. The controller told the flight to "climb, maintain flight level three five zero" two times, although it never complied with the order.[26] The Boston Center later made contact with the Cleveland Center, noting that "we don’t know where he is going …" and that the plane was at an unknown altitude.[27] Due to t

United Airlines Flight 175

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Controller Greg Taccini worked with United Airlines Flight 175 prior to it's hijacking; the same New York Air Route Traffic Control Center controller who had worked the airspace that American Airlines Flight 11 was in also briefly made contact with United Airlines Flight 175 prior to the hijacking.[28] At 8:46 a.m., the pilot of Flight 175 made a report that a "suspicious transmission" had came from another aircraft on their frequency; the transmission was later attributed to the hijackers of Flight 11. This transmission was the last verifiable contact the flight had with ground control before it was hijacked a few moments later.[28]

New York Center and New York TRACON operators reacting to United Airlines Flight 175 impacting the South Tower of the World Trade Center

At 8:51:46 the aircraft was told by the New York Center to recycle its transponder;[29] it never complied. At this point in the flight air traffic controllers were repeatedly attempting to make contact with the aircraft, although the flight had been hijacked by then.[28] At 9:02:47, New York Center and New York TRACON controllers were communicating when Flight 175 neared Lower Manhattan. The New York Center controller pointed out the hijacked airplane to the TRACON operator as it descended into the tower, with TRACON stating that "the whole building just, ah, came apart" after witnessing the crash.[30]

American Airlines Flight 77

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United Airlines Flight 93

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Grounding and diverting flights following the nationwide grounding order

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See also

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References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ McGee, Suzanne (2021-09-02). "9/11: How Air Traffic Controllers Managed the Crisis in the Skies". HISTORY. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  2. ^ Harper, Mark. "'Nothing flies': Former air traffic control boss recalls shutting down NY airspace on 9/11". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  3. ^ "'What Do We Do Tomorrow?': Air Traffic Control Professor Reflects on Personally Shutting Down NYC Airspace on 9/11". Embry-Riddle Newsroom. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  4. ^ ddancis (2021-09-10). "Shutting Down the Sky: The Federal Aviation Administration on 9/11". The Text Message. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  5. ^ "8 Things You May Not Know About Our Air Defense on 9/11". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 2025-07-17. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  6. ^ Palumbo, Jennifer Jay. "Air Traffic Controllers Look Back At The September 11 U.S. Attacks". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  7. ^ "When Air Traffic Control Realized a 9/11 Flight Was Gone". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  8. ^ "Alumnus who tracked Flight 93 as air traffic manager shares his 9/11 memories". RIT. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  9. ^ "Air Traffic Control". Air Traffic Control. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  10. ^ jweaver4410 (2024-09-10). "NATCA Commemorates the 23rd Anniversary of 9/11". NATCA. Retrieved 2025-08-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Timeline: The September 11 terrorist attacks | Miller Center". millercenter.org. 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  12. ^ RCFP (2004-05-10). "9/11 air traffic controller statements destroyed". The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  13. ^ "Ten Years Later: Air Traffic Controllers Remember 9/11". whitehouse.gov. 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  14. ^ FAA recordings from morning of Sept. 11 reveal moments air traffic controllers recognized hijackings. 2021-09-11. Retrieved 2025-08-31 – via www.wmur.com.
  15. ^ Crites, Nicole (2022-09-10). "Air traffic controllers share their 9/11 story". AZFamily. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  16. ^ Oleson, Sam (2018-09-06). "Former NYC Air Traffic Controller to Speak at EAA Museum on 9/11 - Hangar Flying". Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  17. ^ "Report to Senator McCain into Alleged Destruction of Audiotape of Air-Traffic-Controller Witness Statements from 9-11 | DOT OIG". www.oig.dot.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  18. ^ Reed, Molly (2024-09-11). "Embry Riddle professor reflects on leading New York Air Traffic Control during 9/11". WKMG. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  19. ^ "Sept. 11, Minute by Minute". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  20. ^ Fraser, Patrick (2021-09-09). "Miami air traffic controllers who worked during 9/11 remember fateful day". WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  21. ^ Mollenbeck, Andrew (2021-09-10). "Ames native recounts working at Boston's air traffic control center on 9/11". KCCI. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  22. ^ Helfrich, Emma (2022-09-11). "Air Traffic Controller Details Sea Of Red Tape That Mired 9/11 Response". The War Zone. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  23. ^ Turcios, Axel; null (2021-09-10). "An air traffic controller remembers September 11". KSHB 41 Kansas City News. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  24. ^ "Indianapolis air traffic controller reflects on 9/11 after 20 years". wthr.com. 2021-09-12. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  25. ^ "The History of Air Traffic Control" (PDF). Human Systems Integration Division. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  26. ^ Rutgers University 2001, p. 1
  27. ^ Rutgers University 2001, p. 7
  28. ^ a b c National Commission on Terrorist Attacks 2004, p. 7
  29. ^ "Transcript of United Airlines Flight 175". The New York Times. October 16, 2001. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  30. ^ National Commission on Terrorist Attacks 2004, p. 29

Sources

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