Full Breakdown
Last Words and Final Calls: Personal Voices from September 11, 2001
By Drooid · · How we work
The Final Communications
On the morning of September 11, 2001, two victims left recordings that have become emblematic of the day’s tragedy. Joseph Pick, a senior employee on the 94th floor of the South Tower, left a voicemail for his wife, Marie, at 9:01 a.m. Betty Ong, an American Airlines flight attendant on Flight 11, placed an Airfone call at 8:19 a.m. after hijackers seized the aircraft. She identified herself, reported a stabbing in business class, and warned that the cockpit was not responding, indicating a hijacking in progress. Both messages were captured moments before the planes hit their targets.
Timeline of the Calls
- 8:19 a.m. – Betty Ong initiates an Airfone call from Flight 11, describing the hijacking.
- 8:46 a.m. – Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower.
- 9:01 a.m. – Joseph Pick records his voicemail to Marie from the South Tower.
- 9:03 a.m. – United Airlines Flight 175 strikes the South Tower.
- 9:58 a.m. – The South Tower collapses.
Background & Context
Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners on September 11, 2001. Two planes hit the Twin Towers, one struck the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to retake control. The coordinated attacks killed 2,977 people and injured thousands, reshaping U.S. policy.
Key Figures
- Joseph Pick – Senior employee in the South Tower; left a voicemail for his wife moments before the tower was hit.
- Betty Ong – 45-year-old American Airlines flight attendant on Flight 11; made the first crew call reporting a hijacking.
- Harry Ong – Betty’s brother; later recounted his sister’s final moments.
- Nydia Gonzalez – American Airlines operations specialist who received Ong’s call and testified before the 9/11 Commission.
Data & Statistics
- Four hijacked aircraft were used in the attacks.
- Flight 11 carried 92 people; all perished.
- The South Tower housed more than 430 businesses from 28 countries.
- The attacks resulted in 2,977 deaths across the United States.
Official Statements & Responses
She later told the 9/11 Commission that Ong’s plea, “Pray for us,” would be remembered. Harry Ong recalled learning of his sister’s presence on Flight 11 only after the attacks began, describing the delayed notification as a source of profound anguish.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I didn’t know until about 7 o’clock our time. And I just called American Airlines, kept calling them for about five, six times. And finally, they acknowledged that Betty may have been on that flight,” — Harry
- “Your acts of courage on September 11 will never be forgotten,” — Nydia Gonzalez
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The exact second-by-second chronology of the South Tower voicemail is reported as 9:01 a.m. by the family interview; no alternative timestamps appear in the source material, leaving the precise moment of recording unverified beyond that statement.
Why It Matters
The preserved words of Joseph Pick and Betty Ong illustrate the immediate, personal awareness of the unfolding catastrophe. Their recordings have been used by investigators, memorial projects, and families to humanize an event often described in strategic or statistical terms. By hearing the victims speak, the public gains a clearer sense of the chaos, fear, and courage that defined the morning of September 11, 2001.
What’s Next
On the 25th anniversary of the attacks, remembrance events continue to feature the stories of those final communications, underscoring the enduring relevance of personal testimony in preserving the memory of September 11.
