Eerie video captures the passengers' reactions as crew informs them of 9/11 attacks mid-flight

9/11 remains one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history. Two planes struck the Pentagon and the World Trade Center each on September 11, 2001, leaving thousands injured, about 3,000 dead, and changing innumerable lives forever. Years later, images and videos of that horrid Tuesday morning still send chills down our spine. One such video captures the moment passengers on a plane found out about the attacks, unsure whether they would also meet the same fate.

As reported by LADbible, a crew member announced, "At least three aircraft have been hijacked in the United States, two of which were hijacked in the New York area. They were driven into the World Trade Center towers. They destroyed both towers, and both towers have completely collapsed according to the reports that we have." They added, "In addition to that another aircraft was hijacked. We believe this was a US hijacked airplane that was blown up and destroyed out over the ocean. The fourth item here, the Pentagon was attacked with a helicopter loaded with explosives and there are no damages estimates right now."

Some of the information conveyed was of course inaccurate considering the lack of modern communication tools and the unprecedented nature of the events unfolding. But what's surprising is that in contrast to what one might expect in such a situation—being onboard a plane themselves— the passengers didn't panic. Rather, there was an eerie silence in the cabins as they processed what was being conveyed. While some passengers hid their faces in their hands as they received the tragic news, others broke down in tears while talking to their loved ones on the phone. 

Hushed 'Oh my gods' could be heard in the footage. As the heartbreaking video went viral on social media, netizens chimed in, sharing where they were and how they felt when the attacks unfolded. On X (formerly Twitter), a person (@mpiredivine) noted, “That day had to be the worst time to be on a plane. The uncertainty of not knowing if the one you are on is a target or if there are terrorists on board. The worry about the terrorist attacks must have been palpable.” Similarly, another person (@SkinBag) shared, “My mother and niece were on a flight from China to San Fran which got rerouted to Vancouver BC. They were separated, put up with different families, without their luggage. None of us 5 kids heard from Mom until she got home 4 days later.”

It wasn't just the crash, debris, and the fire that took lives. The dust and smoke from the burning fuel doubled the death toll, with health problems spurring up decades later in first responders and those to lived through the ordeal. In some areas, the dust piled up to more than four inches thick, as reported by BBC.