“This is the Captain speaking. There has been an incident in New York City that has threatened the security of the United States of America. We will be landing in Indianapolis in 25 minutes.”
These sobering words may not be exact, but they brought an immediate response from the cabin attendant serving a meal to this standby airline retiree, who said “I shouldn’t be doing this.” It appeared that the pilot alerted the cabin crew and passengers at the same time.
The four planes crashed in the time frame of boarding in Chicago and landing in Indy. Flight attendants reacted swiftly and professionally. The Captain wisely shared no details of the event possibly because there were children on board. On the tarmac waiting for a gate, passengers learned of the ongoing horror by using cell phones. Exiting the plane and retrieving bags was done expeditiously so the aircraft could be moved to the other end of the airport and parked one behind the other making room for more planes. Air traffic controllers did a remarkable job in getting aircraft safely on the ground with no guide lines in the handbook for this type of suicide attack.
Today rules have changed for travelers, and there are some who complain about inconvenience. Air marshals now infiltrate our skies, but in the end everyone is a crew member. Be observant.
— Sandra J. Abrajano, Chicago
