story7349.xml
Title
story7349.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-14
911DA Story: Story
"Yes, I was working when it happened."
My name is Don Larson. I am an Air Traffic Controller at the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center. I was working the morning of September 11, 2001. When the tragedies of that day began I was working a high altitude sector over Upstate New York. I never dreamed the events I was about to witness were possible.
The situation began when another controller working the sector east of my sector called to warn me about American Airlines Flight Eleven (AAL11). "Don, keep an eye on American 11; we lost his transponder and nobody is talking to him." I turned on the "Primary Radar" which displays radar targets with no transponder and was able to monitor the position and direction (but not altitude) of AAL11. It was only a couple of minutes later that AAL11 turned about 150 degrees to the left and was heading for New York City. Not knowing AAL11's altitude or intentions, I immediately had to turn five aircraft in order to maintain at least five miles separation laterally. While I am working my sector to avoid AAL11, I'm thinking, "what's going on?" The only thing I can imagine is that AAL11 developed a major electrical problem and was diverting to New York City for an emergency landing.
I was relieved from the sector and went on a break about 5 minutes before AAL11 crashed into the World Trade Center (WTC). As I was leaving the area that I work in, my supervisor said, "they think AAL11 was highjacked." I was surprised to hear this and really didn't believe it. How could somebody hijack an airplane in the United States? As I walked out of the control floor, I saw Operation Managers and our Traffic Management Unit Specialist manning phones. I am certain they were communicating with the FAA Command Center, New York Center, New York Approach Control and the military's North East Air Defense. I went to the building's cafeteria and sat down next to a co-worker. I said to him, "Craig, we're going to see AAL11 on the news tonight." Why's that?" Craig responded. I told him of the events and that the FAA was treating it as a hijack. Right then a manager ran into the cafeteria and turned on the television. CNN just broke for "Breaking News" and started showing live pictures of the WTC with smoke filling the sky. Before they said anything, I knew AAL11 had hit the building and that it was intentional (some deranged person). I looked at Craig and said, "Oh my God! I can't believe they flew that fucking plane into that building!" We sat there and watched in disbelief as the reporters were trying to guess what had hit the building and why. I knew what it was and that it was deliberate. Then to everyone's horror, on live television, a second aircraft flew into the other tower. I knew immediately it was not a deranged individual but a coordinated attack.
I sat next to Craig for about twenty minutes, both of us watching TV in disbelief. When my break was over I returned to the area and returned to the same sector I was at before. It was not long after I sat down that somebody said, "the Pentagon just got hit!" Then the supervisor answered the phone and announced to everyone in the area, "Get everyone on the ground, nearest airport, we're shutting down the system!" The term SCANTANA came to mind. SCANTANA means that in the event of a war, we need to get all non-military aircraft out of the sky and turn off the NAVAIDs (navigational beacons).
In very little time the skies over the United States were empty except for military aircraft. An hour later we were ordered to evacuate our building because of some threat. We gathered at a hotel just down the road and waited for further instructions. Three controllers per area were told to return to work; everyone else was sent home for the day. I was one of those who returned to work.
It was very eerie walking back down through the control floor. We are open and staffed with controllers 24 hours/ 7 days a week/ everyday of the year and to not see anyone sitting at the radar scopes was chilling. I finished up the rest of my shift and went home to questioning neighbors and friends. At the time, I couldn't talk about it except to say, "yes I was working while it happened."
My name is Don Larson. I am an Air Traffic Controller at the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center. I was working the morning of September 11, 2001. When the tragedies of that day began I was working a high altitude sector over Upstate New York. I never dreamed the events I was about to witness were possible.
The situation began when another controller working the sector east of my sector called to warn me about American Airlines Flight Eleven (AAL11). "Don, keep an eye on American 11; we lost his transponder and nobody is talking to him." I turned on the "Primary Radar" which displays radar targets with no transponder and was able to monitor the position and direction (but not altitude) of AAL11. It was only a couple of minutes later that AAL11 turned about 150 degrees to the left and was heading for New York City. Not knowing AAL11's altitude or intentions, I immediately had to turn five aircraft in order to maintain at least five miles separation laterally. While I am working my sector to avoid AAL11, I'm thinking, "what's going on?" The only thing I can imagine is that AAL11 developed a major electrical problem and was diverting to New York City for an emergency landing.
I was relieved from the sector and went on a break about 5 minutes before AAL11 crashed into the World Trade Center (WTC). As I was leaving the area that I work in, my supervisor said, "they think AAL11 was highjacked." I was surprised to hear this and really didn't believe it. How could somebody hijack an airplane in the United States? As I walked out of the control floor, I saw Operation Managers and our Traffic Management Unit Specialist manning phones. I am certain they were communicating with the FAA Command Center, New York Center, New York Approach Control and the military's North East Air Defense. I went to the building's cafeteria and sat down next to a co-worker. I said to him, "Craig, we're going to see AAL11 on the news tonight." Why's that?" Craig responded. I told him of the events and that the FAA was treating it as a hijack. Right then a manager ran into the cafeteria and turned on the television. CNN just broke for "Breaking News" and started showing live pictures of the WTC with smoke filling the sky. Before they said anything, I knew AAL11 had hit the building and that it was intentional (some deranged person). I looked at Craig and said, "Oh my God! I can't believe they flew that fucking plane into that building!" We sat there and watched in disbelief as the reporters were trying to guess what had hit the building and why. I knew what it was and that it was deliberate. Then to everyone's horror, on live television, a second aircraft flew into the other tower. I knew immediately it was not a deranged individual but a coordinated attack.
I sat next to Craig for about twenty minutes, both of us watching TV in disbelief. When my break was over I returned to the area and returned to the same sector I was at before. It was not long after I sat down that somebody said, "the Pentagon just got hit!" Then the supervisor answered the phone and announced to everyone in the area, "Get everyone on the ground, nearest airport, we're shutting down the system!" The term SCANTANA came to mind. SCANTANA means that in the event of a war, we need to get all non-military aircraft out of the sky and turn off the NAVAIDs (navigational beacons).
In very little time the skies over the United States were empty except for military aircraft. An hour later we were ordered to evacuate our building because of some threat. We gathered at a hotel just down the road and waited for further instructions. Three controllers per area were told to return to work; everyone else was sent home for the day. I was one of those who returned to work.
It was very eerie walking back down through the control floor. We are open and staffed with controllers 24 hours/ 7 days a week/ everyday of the year and to not see anyone sitting at the radar scopes was chilling. I finished up the rest of my shift and went home to questioning neighbors and friends. At the time, I couldn't talk about it except to say, "yes I was working while it happened."
Collection
Citation
“story7349.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 16, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/16127.