Honoring 9/11 Hero Betty Ong
Flight Attendant Betty Ong Remembered Twenty-Five Years After 9/11 Attacks
Anonymous
Key Points
1
Flight 11 had 92 people aboard, according to NBC Boston’s account of the hijacking.
2
Ong was not originally scheduled to be on Flight 11; she picked up the extra shift to earn money for an upcoming trip with her sisters, Cathie and Gloria.
3
Ong’s brother Harry said the family did not initially know she was on the plane. After watching the news, he repeatedly called American Airlines, which finally acknowledged around 7 p.m. local time that Betty might have been aboard.
4
Harry Ong said the family knew Betty by the nickname “Bee” and described the continuing grief this way: “It still hurts. You almost die 25 times.”
5
Betty Ong’s warning came about 20 minutes after Flight 11 departed Boston Logan International Airport, while air traffic controllers were already becoming concerned because the aircraft had veered off course.
Twenty-five years after September 11, Betty Ann Ong is remembered as the first person to alert authorities that a plane had been hijacked. The American Airlines flight attendant made a 23-minute call from Flight 11, reporting that passengers and crew had been stabbed, the cockpit was silent, and the aircraft appeared hijacked CBS2Iowa. Her warning helped authorities identify the attackers and led to crucial decisions that likely saved lives on the ground.
Flight 11 carried 92 people when it departed Boston Logan International Airport bound for Los Angeles NBC Boston. Ong died when the plane struck the World Trade Center's North Tower. Her brother Harry remembers her by the family nickname "Bee" and reflects on the lasting pain: "It still hurts. You almost die 25 times." Her remains were later recovered and returned to her family, a gesture that held deep meaning as many victims' families never received remains.
A Flight Attendant Steps Into History
Betty Ong was not supposed to be on Flight 11 that morning CBS2Iowa. She picked up an extra shift to earn money for an upcoming trip with her sisters, Cathie and Gloria. Around 20 minutes after the plane departed Boston, while air traffic controllers were already worried because the aircraft had veered off course, Ong made her fateful call. She calmly reported the unfolding nightmare to American Airlines officials on the ground.
The Information That Changed Everything
In her 23-minute call, Ong provided critical details CBS2Iowa. She told officials that passengers and crew members had been stabbed. She reported the cockpit was unresponsive. She stated clearly: "I think we're getting hijacked." This information helped authorities identify the attackers and understand the threat they faced. Her warning enabled air traffic controllers to clear other aircraft from Flight 11's path immediately.
A Family's Long Search and Painful Memory
Betty's family did not initially know she was on the plane NBC Boston. Brother Harry Ong spent the morning watching news coverage and repeatedly calling American Airlines. Around 7 p.m. local time, the airline finally confirmed that Betty might have been aboard. For months, the family waited and grieved without knowing her fate. When her remains were recovered and returned to them, it brought both closure and heartbreak.
Honoring Bee Through Community and Remembrance
A quarter century later, Harry Ong and his family continue to grieve while honoring Betty's legacy NBC Boston. They keep her memory alive through community service and annual remembrance events. Harry describes the enduring pain with raw honesty: "It still hurts. You almost die 25 times." Yet her brave actions that morning—providing crucial information when it mattered most—remain an unforgettable part of September 11's history and a testament to ordinary people's extraordinary courage.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
14
Articles
45
Reach
59
A
AnonymousAuthor
