September 11, 2001 Research & Archives

An American Airlines employee at Logan International Airport in Boston calls the American Airlines System Operations Control (SOC) center in Fort Worth, Texas, to report the possible hijacking of Flight 11 and is told that the airline doesn't want the news of the hijacking to get out. The identity of the employee at Logan Airport who makes the call is unclear. A 9/11 Commission document will refer to them only as "Charles." The SOC employee who answers the call is Ray Howland. [American Airlines, 9/11/2001, pp. 31-32; 9/11 Commission, 2004]

The exact time of the call is also unclear. The call is apparently made shortly after 8:25 a.m., when the American Airlines flight services office at Logan Airport was phoned by Amy Sweeney, a flight attendant on Flight 11. Sweeney told Evelyn Nunez, a passenger service agent, about the trouble on her plane, but indicated, incorrectly, that she was on Flight 12, not Flight 11 (see 8:25 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/11/2001, pp. 57-58; 9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 10]

Now, in the call to the SOC, "Charles" says to Howland, "I got a call from flight service." Charles then tells Howland that the flight services office employee—presumably Nunez—"said Flight 12, they said it might have been hijacked.... They got a call from a flight attendant." Charles mentions, "I'm actually on the other line with [the flight services office] now," and then says, "I just wanted to make sure I got the right trip number." Howland replies: "No. It's not 12, it's 11." [American Airlines, 9/11/2001, pp. 31-32]

(The SOC has already been informed that there are problems on Flight 11, in a call from the American Airlines Southeastern Reservations Office in North Carolina (see (8:21 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 9] )

Howland then tells Charles to keep the news about the possible hijacking to himself. "We don't want this getting out," he says. Howland adds: "We're aware of the situation. We're dealing with it right now.... So let us deal with it." He then restates, "We don't want anything getting out right now." Charles agrees to keep quiet, replying: "Nothing said. Okay." [American Airlines, 9/11/2001, pp. 31-32]