story6363.xml

story6363.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

My flight to London boarded 25 minutes late due to a light bulb replacement.We had begun boarding tour plane when the first plane hit. By the time the second plane hit we had begun to back-out of the terminal. WE had no idea what was happening, but we could see the fear in the eyes of the stewardesses.

Everyone began madly dialing cell phones to get more information. The pilot returned to the terminal and asked us to leave the plane so that security could check it. I can't tell you what it was like waiting in O'Hare not knowing what was happening as all of the airport televisions were snowed out due to censor. The only functional television was at the airport bar. There must have been 200 of us peering anxiously at the screen trying to find out what was happening. We then got the news that teh FAA was grounding all flights to the nearest airports.

I stood at the window and watched planes practically fall from the sky as they had to land immediately. There were so many that there was no place for them and planes were lined up with buses picking up teh passengers. It was the most unreal site that I have ever seen...