Solved case
American Airlines Flight 11
On September 11, 2001, five al-Qaeda hijackers took control of American Airlines Flight 11, a Boston-to-Los Angeles flight, and crashed it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing all 92 people aboard and contributing to more than a thousand deaths in the tower.
American Airlines Flight 11 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Boston Logan International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport on the morning of September 11, 2001. The Boeing 767-200ER, registration N334AA, departed at 07:59 with 81 passengers and 11 crew members. Approximately fifteen minutes after takeoff, five hijackers affiliated with al-Qaeda—led, according to the 9/11 Commission, by Mohamed Atta—injured two flight attendants, killed passenger Daniel Lewin, and forced their way into the cockpit, attacking the pilots and taking control of the aircraft.
Air traffic controllers at Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center grew suspicious after the crew stopped responding to instructions around 08:14. At 08:24, Atta's voice was inadvertently transmitted to air traffic control instead of the passenger cabin, revealing the hijacking. Flight attendants Betty Ong and Amy Sweeney separately contacted American Airlines during the hijacking, relaying details including injuries to crew members Karen Martin and Barbara Arestegui, the killing of Daniel Lewin, and the hijackers' seat numbers, which later assisted investigators in identifying the perpetrators.
At 08:46 local time, Atta flew the aircraft into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, striking between floors 93 and 99. All 92 people aboard were killed instantly, along with occupants of the tower's upper floors. The impact severed all three stairwells serving the top floors, trapping close to a thousand people above the crash zone. Some individuals on the upper floors jumped from the building to escape fire and smoke. The North Tower burned for 102 minutes before collapsing at 10:28, adding hundreds of additional deaths, including rescue workers.
Two F-15 fighter jets were dispatched from Otis Air National Guard Base after NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector was notified, but they took off only after Flight 11 had already struck the tower. Investigators later recovered luggage belonging to Atta that had not been loaded onto the flight, containing documents that helped identify all 19 hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks. Al-Suqami's passport, which survived the crash, was also recovered at the scene.
In the aftermath, medical examiners identified the remains of 33 Flight 11 victims within a year, with additional identifications made in 2006 and 2007 using improved DNA technology. Aircraft debris, including a wing flap mechanism and the flight's onboard defibrillator, were discovered near the World Trade Center site in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden later claimed responsibility for the attacks in a recorded statement. The names of the 87 civilian victims of Flight 11 are inscribed at the National September 11 Memorial's North Pool.
Key facts
- Victims
- Amy Sweeney, Berry Berenson, Thomas McGuinness Jr., John Ogonowski, Barbara Arestegui, Lynn Angell, Karen Martin, David Angell, Daniel Lewin, Betty Ong
- Date
- 2001
- Location
- World Trade Center, North Tower, New York City
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
2001-09-11
American Airlines Flight 11 departs Boston Logan International Airport at 07:59 for Los Angeles.
2001-09-11
Hijackers breach the cockpit; flight attendants Betty Ong and Amy Sweeney contact American Airlines to report the hijacking and injuries aboard.
2001-09-11
Mohamed Atta's voice is accidentally transmitted to air traffic control, revealing the hijacking.
2001-09-11
Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 08:46, killing all 92 aboard.
2001-09-11
United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower at 09:03, confirming the attacks were deliberate.
2001-09-11
The North Tower collapses at 10:28 after burning for 102 minutes.
2002
The first Madeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery is presented to Sweeney, Ong, and posthumously to Captain John Ogonowski.
2006
Medical examiners identify the remains of two additional Flight 11 victims, including purser Karen Martin.
2007-04
Examiners using newer DNA technology identify another Flight 11 victim.
2013-04-26
A piece of a Boeing 767 wing flap mechanism is discovered wedged between two buildings near Park Place, close to where other landing gear parts were found.
2014
The onboard defibrillator from Flight 11 is found during roadworks near Liberty Street.
Best coverage
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People
Amy Sweeney
VICTIMFlight attendant who contacted American Airlines during the hijacking to relay information about the attack.
Wail al-Shehri
CHARGEDIdentified by the 9/11 Commission as one of the five hijackers aboard Flight 11; killed in the attack.
Berry Berenson
VICTIMPassenger; actress killed in the crash.
Thomas McGuinness Jr.
VICTIMFirst Officer of Flight 11, killed during the hijacking.
John Ogonowski
VICTIMCaptain of Flight 11, killed during the hijacking.
Barbara Arestegui
VICTIMFlight attendant aboard Flight 11, injured by hijackers during the hijacking.
Mohamed Atta
CHARGEDIdentified by the 9/11 Commission as lead hijacker who took control of the aircraft and flew it into the North Tower; killed in the attack and never prosecuted in court.
Waleed al-Shehri
CHARGEDIdentified by the 9/11 Commission as one of the five hijackers aboard Flight 11; killed in the attack.
Lynn Angell
VICTIMPassenger killed in the crash.
Karen Martin
VICTIMPurser aboard Flight 11, stabbed by hijackers during the hijacking; remains identified in 2006.
Satam al-Suqami
CHARGEDIdentified by the 9/11 Commission as one of the five hijackers aboard Flight 11; killed in the attack.
David Angell
VICTIMPassenger; television producer killed in the crash.
Daniel Lewin
VICTIMPassenger; Akamai Technologies co-founder killed by a hijacker early in the hijacking, believed to be the first fatality of the September 11 attacks.
Abdulaziz al-Omari
CHARGEDIdentified by the 9/11 Commission as one of the five hijackers aboard Flight 11; killed in the attack.
Betty Ong
VICTIMFlight attendant who contacted American Airlines during the hijacking to relay information about the attack.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
archival location
Wtc05-orig-2001-09-11-09-13-05-Charles-Marsh
Credit: Charles Marsh · Public domain · Source
archival location
4.28.12Flight11PanelN-74ByLuigiNovi2
Credit: Nightscream · Public domain · Source
unclassified
American Airlines Flight 11 approach (first frame)
Credit: Wolfgang Staehle · Public domain · Source
crime scene press
American Airlines Flight 11 approach (second frame)
Credit: Wolfgang Staehle · Public domain · Source
unclassified
American Airlines Flight 11 approach (third frame)
Credit: Wolfgang Staehle · Public domain · Source
other document
Atta in airport
Credit: security camera · Public domain · Source
other document
Betty Ong phone call details
Credit: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia · Public domain · Source
other document
Madeline Amy Sweeney phone call details
Credit: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia · Public domain · Source
mugshot
Mohamed Atta 5-2-01 HQ
Credit: State of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles · Public domain · Source
unclassified
N334AA B767-223ER American MAN 08APR01 (6839074488)
Credit: Ken Fielding · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
mugshot
Satam al-Suqami 7-3-01 HQ
Credit: State of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles · Public domain · Source
mugshot
Wail Al-Shehri color
Credit: State of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles · Public domain · Source
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- On September 11, 2001, five al-Qaeda hijackers took control of American Airlines Flight 11, a Boston-to-Los Angeles flight, and crashed it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing all 92 people aboard and contributing to more than a thousand deaths in the tower.
- Where did the crime happen?
- World Trade Center, North Tower, New York City.
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved.
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Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDICAmerican Airlines Flight 11Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The New York TimesThe New York Times · 2026-07-07
- OFFICIAL / AGENCYContemporaneous coverage — 9-11commission.gov9-11commission.gov · 2026-07-07
Record history
- First published
- JUL 07, 2026
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