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Swede

(38,395 posts)
Tue Aug 5, 2025, 08:42 PM Aug 2025

A flight attendant recalls her experience from September 11th.

An American friend of mine posted this today on Facebook. She said we all need to remember there are good people everywhere.

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, we were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic.
All of a sudden the curtains parted and I was told to go to the cockpit, immediately, to see the captain.
As soon as I got there I noticed that the crew had that “All Business” look on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. It was from Delta’s main office in Atlanta and simply read, “All airways over the Continental United States are closed to commercial air traffic. Land ASAP at the nearest airport. Advise your destination.”
No one said a word about what this could mean. We knew it was a serious situation and we needed to find terra firma quickly. The captain determined that the nearest airport was 400 miles behind us in Gander, Newfoundland.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CRUydyu2E/

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Response to Swede (Original post)

Swede

(38,395 posts)
2. At the link a flight attendant tells the story of her experience from that day.
Tue Aug 5, 2025, 08:50 PM
Aug 2025

It's right at the link.

Abolishinist

(2,888 posts)
7. "Come from Away" premiered at our local La Jolla Playhouse in 2015, which we have season tickets for.
Tue Aug 5, 2025, 09:29 PM
Aug 2025

It was an incredible, truly enjoyable play. I always says if you see five plays, one will be great, the others just OK to 'hopefully there's an intermission, so I can skedaddle'. This was one of the great ones.

https://variety.com/2015/legit/reviews/come-from-away-review-musical-1201520157/

DFW

(59,747 posts)
10. I saw it on Broadway
Wed Aug 6, 2025, 03:40 AM
Aug 2025

Agree, it was a great show. The actors spent months training to speak in two accents—one for the local Newfies, and one for the Brits or Texans or whatever their “other” role was.

3catwoman3

(28,609 posts)
4. What a moving account of humanity rising to the occasion.
Tue Aug 5, 2025, 09:02 PM
Aug 2025

I'm sitting here with tears dripping down my cheeks.

vapor2

(3,795 posts)
5. HUBBY and I were en route to Norfolk VA on AA
Tue Aug 5, 2025, 09:14 PM
Aug 2025

After departing DFW a man in a white shirt and dress slacks came from coach and spoke with the flight attendant for a good few minutes and then went into the cockpit. Shortly thereafter, the pilot informed us we were landing but there was nothing mechanically wrong with the plane. Guessing the unknown male was an air Marshall but it was all so very nerving. Asked the flight attendant if she had seen anything like this and she replied, "not in 26 years". I was impress as to how rapidly planes were grounded.

Swede

(38,395 posts)
6. I remember driving to work and there was a 747 parked at the airport.
Tue Aug 5, 2025, 09:18 PM
Aug 2025

Our little airport, and I had never seen a 747 there.

fujiyamasan

(1,234 posts)
9. That message is absolutely chilling
Tue Aug 5, 2025, 11:32 PM
Aug 2025

And I can only imagine how terrifying it was for the crew. Back then it wouldn’t have been clear what that could even mean.

Now, most flights have WiFi on board and internet usage is nearly universal. I remember we were still using AOL instant messenger back then.

ProfessorGAC

(75,864 posts)
11. Thankfully I Wasn't In The Air
Wed Aug 6, 2025, 04:12 AM
Aug 2025

I was at the airport awaiting the boarding call for Atlanta.
But, the grounding order cam before we ever got on the plane.

Liberal In Texas

(15,992 posts)
12. What a great story. What great people Canadians are.
Wed Aug 6, 2025, 06:14 AM
Aug 2025

I urge folks to read the whole account.

Ms. Toad

(38,312 posts)
14. This showed up in my timeline, as well -
Wed Aug 6, 2025, 09:02 AM
Aug 2025

And the first person on the list of " likes," had. died several years ago. Which was my first clue this wasn't new.

I didn't know who old stuff like this keeps popping up as if it was new, but I find it annoying.

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