Building a Tradition

Six years later. It’s been especially strange this year as Sept 11 once again falls on a Tuesday, the first time that’s happened since 2001. As I write this on the evening of the 10th, I can’t help but think back to the same Monday night back in 2001. It wasn’t a special night by any means back then, but of course now it marks the end of an era.

Last year, I wrote about what my September 11, 2001 was like, but I didn’t know what to write about this year. Should I have a day of silence? Or should I just go on like it was any other day? Nah.

I decided that I’d like to try to help build a tradition that Holly Hegeman over at PlaneBusiness started a few years back. Every year, she’s published the names of the crews onboard the four aircraft that crashed in her weekly Banter. On a day when everyone honors all those who died, I think it’s fitting that those of us who love this industry honor those who were “in the family.”

American 11 (Boston to Los Angeles)
Crashed into World Trade Center
John Ogonowski, Dracut, Mass., Captain; Thomas McGuinness, Portsmouth, N.H., First Officer; Barbara Arestegui, flight attendant; Jeffrey Collman, flight attendant; Sara Low, flight attendant; Karen Martin, flight attendant; Kathleen Nicosia, flight attendant; Betty Ong, flight attendant; Jean Roger, flight attendant; Dianne Snyder, flight attendant; Madeline Sweeney, flight attendant

United 175 (Boston to Los Angeles)
Crashed into World Trade Center
Victor J. Saracini, Lower Makefield Township, Pa., Captain; Michael Horrocks, First Officer; Amy Jarret, flight attendant; Al Marchand, flight attendant; Amy King, flight attendant; Kathryn Laborie, flight attendant; Michael Tarrou, flight attendant; Alicia Titus, flight attendant

American 77 (Washington/Dulles to Los Angeles)
Crashed into the Pentagon
Charles Burlingame, Captain; David Charlebois, First Officer; Michele Heidenberger, flight attendant; Jennifer Lewis, flight attendant; Kenneth Lewis, flight attendant; and Renee May, flight attendant

United 93 (Newark to San Francisco)
Crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Jason Dahl, Colorado, Captain; Leroy Homer, Marlton, N.J., First Officer; Sandy Bradshaw, flight attendant; CeeCee Lyles, flight attendant; Lorraine Bay, flight attendant; Wanda Green, flight attendant; Deborah Welsh, flight attendant