The airline industry was rocked and forever changed on a clear morning on the east coast one September 14 years ago. Pilots and crew went about standard procedures while prepping for their flights and looking forward to another day’s work in the skies-not expecting the horror of what happened shortly after takeoff.

Maybe you were on your way to work on the east coast when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of The World Trade Center. Perhaps you were on the west coast sleeping or just waking up. By the time the second aircraft, United Airlines Flight 175 hit the south tower, America knew that these jets, ready to embark on cross-country flights were loaded up with fuel and were not intended to be used as means of transportation that day but a means to crumble and destroy structures, lives and shake our country to the core.

It is hard to determine what was going through the minds of the flight crew on these aircraft in the final moments. We take the time today to honor the fallen crew of all four flights that fateful September morning.

American Airlines Flight 11: North Tower, World Trade Center

Captain John Ogonowski was a Vietnam Vet who flew C-141 transport planes that carried equipment and sometimes bodies of the fallen back to the United States. He was a farmer in his spare time.

Ogonowski’s First Officer was Tom F. McGuinness. McGuinness’ wife, Cheryl has since published a book on her relationship with God after the 9/11 tragedy entitled “Beauty Beyond The Ashes, Choosing Hope After Crisis”. Among the flight attendants on board were Barbara Jean Arestegui and Betty Ong, the first flight attendant to provide authorities with much needed information about the hijackers to include seat numbers to determine their identities. Betty was on the air phone with ground control for about 25 minutes confirming a hijacking was under way. Madeline “Amy” Sweeney was also assisting Ong in the cabin of. Sweeney made the call to flight services manager, Michael Woodward at 8:20am that morning which gave the F.B.I a head start on the investigation that day.

“Something is wrong. We are in a rapid descent… we are all over the place. … I see water. I see buildings. We are flying low. We are flying very, very low. We are flying way too low. … Oh my God, we are way too low… Oh my God, we’re —”-Amy Sweeney

Also on the flight were attendants Jeffrey Dwayne Collman, Sara Low, Karen Martin, Kathy Nicosia, Jean Roger and Dianne Snyder.