A Date That Will Live in Infamy

Reflections on the tragedy of 9/11.

I never thought I would see the day when civil aviation was so horrifically weaponized. But on the morning of September 11, 2001, I had a front row seat. At the time, I was the manager of Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA), which is two miles from the Pentagon. As soon as I heard about the two airliners that had flown into the World Trade Center in New York, I headed down to the operations center on the ramp level. That’s where I was when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 am.

The operations center is just what you imagine: lots of sophisticated electronics, speakers, and walls of video feeds. Several other people had also deployed to the busy room. But when Flight 77—a heavily-fueled Boeing 757 on its way from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles—tore through the Pentagon’s west side, we could hear the impact. When we stepped outside later, we could smell the odor of burning jet fuel, and we saw embers falling from the sky. It was a lot to take in, but I knew I needed to direct my attention to the emergency task at hand.

My team and I had a job to do: shutting down the airport as quickly and safely as possible. Fortunately, I could draw on my experience as a former U.S. Navy Flight Officer. “Stay calm, work the problem, and don’t induce errors by working in haste,” I would always tell myself during high-stress situations. Looking back at that awful morning 25 years ago, I remember that three hectic days passed before I allowed myself to think of the tragic loss of life and its emotional impact on our nation.

Despite its horrors, 9/11 was a moment that united our country, and so many people ran toward the unfolding crisis: first responders, emergency room staff, recovery teams specializing in structural collapse, and news reporters. Another profession that showed up big that day was the air traffic control industry. The complete shutdown of U.S. airspace was unprecedented, and most of the responsibility fell on the air traffic controllers who were on duty that morning. During a time of extreme uncertainty, air traffic controllers had to keep their cool while talking to anxious airline pilots short on fuel while waiting to land. I overheard some of these tense exchanges in the operations center, and I’m still impressed that all airline flights were guided in with no midair collisions or landing mishaps. 

The men and women who make up our air traffic control system showed their mettle yet again during last year’s longest-ever shutdown of the federal government. Many of them continued to work full-time without getting paid—some with perfect attendance. They were willing to put aside their own interests for a greater good: keeping our nation’s airspace operational. 

To mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the National Air and Space Museum is offering a public program on September 10: a panel discussion on the history and impact of 9/11. A recording will be available on demand after the event. One of the panelists will talk about the role played by air traffic controllers. These are the people, after all, to whom we entrust our lives every time we board a commercial flight originating from or flying into the United States.

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Christopher U. Browne is the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the National Air and Space Museum.

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This article, originally titled "Looking Back at 9/11," is from the Spring 2026 issue of Air & Space Quarterly, the National Air and Space Museum's signature magazine that explores topics in aviation and space, from the earliest moments of flight to today. Explore the full issue.

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