The first plane crash on September 11, 2001, occurred at 8:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). At this moment, American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact occurred between the 93rd and 99th floors, initiating the series of coordinated terrorist attacks that unfolded throughout the morning.
The timing of 8:46 AM is the official and widely accepted figure, most notably established by the 9/11 Commission Report. This conclusion was reached through the corroboration of multiple independent data streams, including radar tracking data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), air traffic control voice recordings, and seismic readings. The analysis of these sources allowed investigators to create a precise, verifiable timeline of the event, which is essential for all subsequent forensic and historical analysis.
This specific time serves as the primary temporal marker for the entire sequence of the September 11th attacks. It is the critical reference point from which the timeline of all other events of that day is constructed, including the second tower impact, the attack on the Pentagon, and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93. As a definitive historical data point, it marks the precise beginning of the national crisis and is fundamental to the study and remembrance of the events.
