During the early morning of 11 September, 19 hijackers would take control of four commercial aircraft. All aircraft were originally headed for the west coast, thus loaded heavy with fuel for the flight. The four aircraft were American Airlines Flight 11 and 77, along with United Airlines Flight 93 and 175.
At 8:46 AM, five hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the northern face of World Trade Center’s North Tower.
At 9:03 AM, five more hijackers crash United Airlines Flight 175 into the southern face of the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Another five aboard American Airlines Flight 77 would force the aircraft to crash into the Pentagon at 9:37 AM.
Passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 would learn of the crashed aircraft and realize the intent of the four remaining hijackers. Later recovery of the cockpits voice recorder revealed that the crew and passengers struggled to regain control of the flight, forcing the hijackers to roll the aircraft, crashing it near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The hijackers intentionally crashed it so that the passengers and crew could not regain control. It is believed the intended target for Flight 93 was either the Capitol or the White House.
To enable the hijackers’ mission, they took control by injuring and killing crewmembers and passengers with weapons, such as pepper spray, multitool knives and fake explosives.
At 9:42 AM, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all civilian aircraft over the continental US grounded.
265 civilians would die on the four hijacked flights. 2,606 innocent civilians died at the World Trade Center. 125 would die at the Pentagon. 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers would die that day as well, helping save countless lives.
It is estimated 17,400 people were in or around the World Trade Center complex at the time of the attack.
By that afternoon American leaders were beginning to act. Officials scrambled to gather information on who committed this act of terrorism. On the 14th Congress would pass the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists, which would become law on the 18th.
On 7 October, the War in Afghanistan would begin with aerial bombings of Taliban and al-Qaeda targets. Soon after, Special Forces would begin the land invasion of Afghanistan.
The terrorists who planned and orchestrated this atrocity came from al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden. Finally, in 2011 during Operation Neptune he would be found and killed by US Navy SEALs.