The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11

“Bruno Dellinger, principal, Quint Amasis North America, North Tower, 47th floor: The sky was so pure. The air was so crisp. Everything was perfect.”

Numerous people who were in New York City and Washington, DC, on 9/11 later recalled commenting on the beautiful, crisp, blue morning after the previous day’s storm. This sharply contrasted with the sights, smells, and sounds the same people experienced as the day’s horrors unfolded. The clear day was soon interrupted by planes hitting buildings and the resulting fire, smoke, death, and destruction.

“I remember literally telling him, ‘It should be an easy day.’ Those were the words. ‘It should be an easy day.’”

Andy Card, Chief of Staff for President Bush, assured the president that 9/11 would be an easy day. This quote underscores dramatic irony, given that 9/11 brought extreme stress, grief, and challenges to President Bush’s day and, more broadly, to his presidential term. Like comments about the clear, blue sky, this quote highlights the contrast between how the day began and how it progressed.

“No one gave the knives they carried onboard a second look—they were allowed under the security regulations at the time.”

The text invites reflection on how 9/11 irrevocably changed the world, particularly in terms of security. The idea of knives being allowed on a flight in the post-9/11 world is inconceivable; this day set precedents that radically changed security in airports and at other sites, including those of cultural or religious significance.

“‘Wow, it’s really early. It’s not even 8:15. I bet I can get the optometrist to see me, and I can have my glasses this afternoon.’ I made a detour to the Trade Center Concourse level and I went straight for LensCrafters.”

Michael Lomonaco made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go to the Concourse level before beginning his work shift at Windows on the World, on the 106th floor of the North Tower. This choice undoubtedly saved his life, given that all employees and guests on or above that floor lost their lives because they were above the impact site of Flight 11. This anecdote reflects the theme of The Tragic Randomness of Decisions in Dictating Life or Death.

“One of the guys came without a wallet, no ID at all. Someone had to go down and sign for him. There was a girl who sat behind me, a desk assistant who was very helpful, but she was eight-and-a-half-months pregnant. I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to make her go down.’”

David Kravette’s choice, motivated by kindness and consideration, unknowingly saved his own life and condemned his colleague to die because their office was on the 105th floor of the North Tower. Kravette would not have lived had a person attending the meeting not forgotten his wallet or if the desk assistant went down to sign him in. Again, this anecdote reflects the theme of The Tragic Randomness of Decisions in Dictating Life or Death.

“A captain said, ‘Sir, we had an aircraft hit the World Trade Center.’ I started to correct him, saying, ‘When you have an exercise input you have to start by saying, “I have an exercise input.” That way it doesn’t get confused with the real world.’ Then he pointed me to the TV screens in the command center. You could see smoke pouring out of the building.”

Lieutenant General Tom Keck’s response to the captain illustrates the absolutely unprecedented nature of the attack; Keck assumed that the captain was making a fictional, hypothetical point in the context of a training exercise. This alludes to the shock and disbelief of people around the country and the world viewing the horrific footage of the burning and then collapsing WTC towers.

“Everybody’s heard plane engines, except very few people have heard the sound of plane engines when they’re at full strength, full force, flying up in the sky. That is a horrifying sound.”

Bruno Dellinger, who worked on the 47th floor of the North Tower, recalls the unprecedented sound of Flight 11 approaching the North Tower. The clarity of his recollection, as well as the horror he associates with it, alludes to the important and recurring theme of The Psychological and Emotional Impact of Terrorism.

“Sal Cassano, assistant chief, FDNY: On the morning of September 11th, I was at headquarters in Brooklyn. Sitting with me was Chief of Department Peter Ganci, Chief of Operations Dan Nigro, Donald Burns, Jerry Barbara. Jerry was killed. Donald was killed. Peter was killed.”

Cassano’s list of his deceased colleagues alludes to the immense loss of life in the FDNY, whose members prioritized the lives of others over their own in entering the unstable, burning WTC towers. Many lost dozens of friends and in some cases family members, given the intergenerational traditions of the FDNY.

“Dr. Charles Hirsch, chief medical examiner, City of New York: I will never forget seeing an airplane engine in the middle of West Street and then an amputated hand next to it.”

Hirsch’s reflection that he would never forget this improbable and horrific tableau alludes to the theme of The Psychological and Emotional Impact of Terrorism. The sight of a severed hand lying next to an airplane engine in the street symbolizes the unprecedented nature of the attack, which brought horror and death to a regular Manhattan morning.

“Peter Hanson, passenger, United Flight 175: It’s getting bad, Dad. A stewardess was stabbed. They seem to have knives and Mace. They said they have a bomb. It’s getting very bad on the plane. The plane is making jerky movements. I don’t think the pilot is flying the plane. I think we are going down. I think they intend to go to Chicago or someplace and fly into a building. Don’t worry, Dad. If it happens, it’ll be very fast. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.”

Hanson’s recorded message to his father reflects the lived experience of those onboard the four hijacked planes. His words explicitly convey the terror they felt as well as the incredible resilience of many who, like Hanson, called loved ones to reassure them and bid them farewell.

“Lt. Mickey Kross, Engine 16, FDNY: It reminded me of those movies—those old Godzilla movies—where the monster would come out of the ocean, and everybody would be running and screaming and tripping and falling down.”

The sights were unreal, even for Kross, who responded to fires and emergencies in his day-to-day life. No parallels existed between the WTC attacks unfolding in Manhattan and the daily life of a firefighter; witnesses could liken them only to dramatic scenes from action movies.

“Joe Esposito: I go on the radio. I immediately say, ‘Central, we’re under attack. A second plane has just hit the second tower. We are under attack.’”

Joe Esposito’s radio transmission characterizes the change of tone when Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower. Many had hoped that Flight 11’s collision with the North Tower was a tragic mistake. However, once the South Tower was hit, people across the US and around the world, including first responders like Esposito, realized that they were viewing an intentional and systematic attack.

“Mariah Williams, student, Emma Booker Elementary: I remember him being all happy and joyful. Then his expression changing to very serious and concerned.”

President Bush’s face mirrored the shift in comprehension and mood after Flight 175 hit the South Tower and Chief of Staff Andy Card whispered the update. This moment irrevocably changed Bush’s presidency: He became a wartime leader.

“Peter Bitwinski, assistant manager, Accounts Payable, Port Authority, North Tower, 69th floor: We encountered maybe 20 to 25 firemen. It’s one of the sadder memories I have of that day. They were walking up with full equipment, these big metal picks, and they were sweating like crazy.”

As civilian employees fled the North Tower, firefighters climbed the stairs toward almost inevitable death. Bitwinski’s grief at recalling this memory reflects the theme of The Psychological and Emotional Impact of Terrorism; sights and sounds of the day became indelible memories. Bitwinski’s recollection refers to the immense loss of life in the FDNY; many died while working to save others.

“Dr. Charles Hirsch, chief medical examiner, City of New York: It was a sight and sound that I’ll never forget. The awful sound of people impacting.”

Hirsch’s recollection of the horrific sight and sound of people who fell or jumped from the WTC towers impacting the ground reflects the theme of The Psychological and Emotional Impact of Terrorism. These traumatic experiences haunt those who were present at the scene.

“Ben Sliney: To give some perspective, I believe 700 landed within the first 10 minutes, and 3,500 within the first hour.”

Throughout the US, air traffic control and pilots enacted an unprecedented measure: the timely and organized grounding of all domestic and international air traffic. The resilience of these individuals and systems despite incredible stress foregrounds the theme of Resilience and Heroism in the Face of Adversity.

“Tom said, ‘We’re waiting until we’re over a rural area. We’re going to take back the airplane.’ I became very frightened and I begged, ‘No, no, Tom. Just sit down, be still, be quiet, and don’t draw attention to yourself.’ He said, ‘No, Deena. If they’re going to crash this plane, we’re going to have to do something.’”

Exemplifying the theme of Resilience and Heroism in the Face of Adversity, civilians on Flight 93 overpowered the hijackers in order to save lives at the site of their unknown target, likely the US Capitol. These civilians sacrificed their own lives to safeguard strangers; they refused to be aboard a missile to kill others. During Tom’s call to his wife, Deena (who worked as a flight attendant), she begged him to reconsider, but he was determined to thwart the hijackers’ plan.

“Sunny Mindel, communications director for the mayor of the City of New York, Rudy Giuliani: Everything was gray—a color world went monochromatic from all the soot and the ash. In this monochromatic world, the first bit of color came in the form of a guy named Tibor Kerekes, who was on the mayor’s security detail. He came into the building and was completely gray except for the blood.”

Mindel’s recollections illustrate the theme of The Psychological and Emotional Impact of Terrorism by conveying the terrifying and unreal landscape of Manhattan after the WTC’s South Tower collapsed. Survivors retain vivid memories of the day’s traumatic sights and sounds. Furthermore, the starkness of the red color of blood in an otherwise monochromatic world of dust symbolizes the injuries and deaths among the destruction.

“Lt. Col. Rob Grunewald, information management officer, U.S. Army, Pentagon: The plane came into the building and went underneath our feet, literally, by a floor. A friend of mine down the table, Martha Cardin, yelled for help, and I told Martha, ‘I got you, Martha. I’ll come get you.’ Where everybody went and how they get out of the room is very unique, because those are where decisions are made that are fatal, or cause injury, or cause mental fatigue, or great consternation. A bunch of my officemates that were in that meeting went in one direction and unfortunately didn’t make it. The person that sat to my right, the person that sat to my left, apparently went out the door and took a right, and they went into the E-Ring, where they apparently perished. A decision to go in one direction or another was very important.”

Grunewald’s bravery in delaying his own escape to escort Martha Cardin out highlights the courage and selflessness of everyday Americans on 9/11, referencing the theme of Resilience and Heroism in the Face of Adversity. His anecdote also refers to another pivotal theme: The Tragic Randomness of Decisions in Dictating Life or Death. The decision to go left or right into a corridor became the difference between life and death. As in Grunewald’s recollection, people often made these decisions in a moment of extreme stress, confusion, and disorientation.

“Richard Eichen: I realize my mouth is packed with this debris—the dust. I dug my mouth out with two fingers—putting them in and digging my mouth out. Then I realized I still couldn’t breathe, so I stuck my finger down my throat and I was able to open a breathing passage.”

Eichen’s recollection highlights the density of the dusty air that spread from the WTC site and enveloped Manhattan, choking civilians and emergency workers, even affecting the ability to breathe. Graff continues to include accounts that convey the sensory experiences of the day, allowing readers to empathetically imagine and connect to the experiences of those involved. As the Epilogue notes, dozens of individuals who were in the vicinity of the WTC attacks have since experienced respiratory illnesses or cancer as a result of inhaling asbestos and concrete dust after the towers collapsed.

“Mike Walter, senior correspondent, USA Today Live: Later in the day, there was this kid, probably about 18 years old, showed up. He was trying to get past the police line. He had piercings and all this stuff, like, ‘Jeez, who’s this guy?’ He was getting very emotional, and he said to the police, ‘Please, I need to go, I need to give blood, I need to help these people.’”

The countless people willing to volunteer their time, money, expertise, or even blood to help those affected by the attacks illustrates the theme of Resilience and Heroism in the Face of Adversity. On an individual and systemic level, US citizens banded together in the aftermath of the tragedy. Walter’s anecdote highlights how this effort came from people of all ages, lifestyles, backgrounds, social classes, and ethnicities.

“Scott Strauss: We were finding plenty of body parts, but we weren’t finding anybody who was rescuable. We kept doing that all day long.”

Strauss’s recollection conveys the emotionally taxing nature of the 9/11 cleanup at all sites, especially at the WTC site in Manhattan. After pulling a few survivors from the rubble, rescue workers were hopeful, but most of the human remains they found were in fragments because of the traumatic nature of the collapse, which brought hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete onto civilians and rescue workers inside the towers and in the vicinity.

“Gabriella Daya-Dominguez, resident, Chatham, New Jersey: My father is Arabic. I remember feeling a sense of dread that week. I couldn’t eat at all. Food tasted like paper. It was hard to put something in my mouth. I felt that there was going to be a backlash against Arabs. I remember being terrified.”

Daya-Dominguez’s anecdote reveals the discrimination and hate attacks that Arabic Americans experienced in the wake of 9/11. Many people had trouble distinguishing between peaceful Islamic people and Islamic terrorists. The problem was exacerbated by the disguised nature of the hijackers’ boarding of the plane; innocent Islamic people in the US were treated with suspicion and hostility.