Mr President, "America is under attach" |
Der Spiegel (The Mirror) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.
September 11, 2001, 8:20 a.m. — Betty Ong, flight attendant, contacts American Airlines operations center: " We have been hijacked." She is flying that day third in command on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles. Little does she know that Flight 11, a Boeing 767, has been diverted to the south tower of the World Trade Center.
September 11, 2001, 8:20 a.m. — Betty Ong, flight attendant, contacts American Airlines operations center: " We have been hijacked." She is flying that day third in command on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles. Little does she know that Flight 11, a Boeing 767, has been diverted to the south tower of the World Trade Center.
8:46 a.m., World Trade Center, New York, North Tower — The hijacked Boeing 767, American Airlines Flight 11, rams into the skyscraper between the 93rd and 99th floors. Upon impact, the aluminum fuel tanks rip apart, spewing a torrent of fuel that is ignited by sparks from the shearing steel. Everywhere in the building people are screaming. Seized by utter panic, they clutch at chairs, cabinets, anything that gives them stability. They are crushed against desks and slammed into walls. And within seconds, they are incinerated by the inferno, leaving hardly a trace behind.
9:03 a.m., World Trade Center, New York, South Tower — The hijacked Boeing 767, United Airlines Flight 175, barrels into the skyscraper between the 77th and 85th floors. Apparently about to miss their mark, the terrorist pilots had to change course at the last minute. The United plane is traveling at a much higher speed than the American jet when it impacts — 586 mph vs. 486 mph. The ground moves, the earth seems to quake, and the sheer force catapults people to their deaths. The structural damage to the building is much more devastating than in the North Tower.
9:53 a.m., World Trade Center, New York South Tower — Kevin Cosgrove, on the 105th floor, makes contact with New York Fire Dispatch. Gasping for air the barely audible five minute conversation makes little sense until 9:59 a.m. … and then the bang and the screams. The South Tower implodes
We've seen the videos from a different angle. But the audio, the frustrations of impending death, the care of emergency workers --- heartbreaking.
We've seen the videos from a different angle. But the audio, the frustrations of impending death, the care of emergency workers --- heartbreaking.