Flight Attendant Duties

[BoeingBoy]

Just in case there are any out there that still think of F/A's as "trolly dollies" (the British term):

-------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON – The calm voice calling from American Airlines Flight 11 belied the mayhem unfolding on the jetliner: a hijacking was under way, three people were stabbed, the cockpit was silent.

"The cockpit is not answering their phone," flight attendant Betty Ong told the American Airlines operations center shortly before the plane slammed into the World Trade Center. "There's somebody stabbed in business class, and we can't breathe in business. Um, I think there is some Mace or something. We can't breathe.

"I don't know, but I think we're getting hijacked."


* Members of a Senate panel listen to a tape of a phone call made by a flight attendant aboard American Airlines Flight 11 as the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacking was taking place.
Cable-DSL / 56k The FREE RealPlayer plug-in is necessary to play RealMedia.




Ong, 45, known as "Bee," of Andover, Mass., was working tourist class on the American Airlines Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles on Sept. 11, 2001, before suspected 9-11 ringleader Mohammed Atta and four others took over the plane and crashed it into the North Tower of the Trade Center.

Nydia Gonzalez, on duty at the operations center that morning, told the panel how she received Ong's call at about 8:20 a.m.

"Several media accounts of what occurred on Flight 11 claimed that Betty was 'hysterical with fear,' 'shrieking' and 'gasping for air,'" Gonzalez said. "Those accounts were wrong."

"In a very calm, professional and poised demeanor, Betty Ong relayed to us detailed information of the events unfolding on Flight 11," Gonzalez added.

The Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States heard portions of Gonzalez's 23-minute conversation with the operations center on the second of a two-day hearing Tuesday.

In it, Ong tells the operations center her flight and seat number and describes the scene on board.

"I'm sitting in the back. Somebody's coming back from business. If you can hold on for one second here, they're coming back.

"Our No. 1 (flight attendant) got stabbed. Our purser is stabbed. Nobody knows who stabbed who. We can't even get up to business class right now, because nobody can breathe. Uh, our No. 1 is stabbed right now.

"Our No. 5, our first class passenger, er, our first class galley flight attendant and our purser have been stabbed. And we can't get into the cockpit. The door won't open."

"We can't even get into the cockpit. We don't know who's there," Ong says, before the call ends in a dial tone.

The Boeing 767 rammed into the World Trade Center's north tower at 8:46 a.m.

-----------------------------------------

Jim

Moderators Note- Keeping a link on the US Board, but moving to AA. Thanks for posting the info.

 

[Garfield1966]

I know I will catch hell for this but I will say it anyway since this has been on my mind for a while. I was going to post it under a different alias but that would be cowardly and I don’t like that so I dumped that idea about as quick.

I do not mean this as an insult although I am sure some will take it that way. I am not slamming a profession but I am sure that the village idiot (you know who you are) will accuse me of saying that I am and threaten to write me up … again. So here it goes.

Regardless of how calm FA ONG was, the end result was that the crew was unable to retake the A/C from the terrorists. I realize it was a terrifying situation. I was held up by two men with guns so I have an idea of what it is like to have ones life in jeopardy. I realize there may not have been any alternate out come regardless of who was on the A/C. The way I see it is that the A/C’s were taken over because the FA’s and the pilots were not trained or capable of retaining control of the aircraft in that situation. I do not blame them. They did the best they could with the skills and tools at their disposal. This is the type of situation I want the crew of any A/C I am on to be able to handle. On El Al, all the crew members are former military personal. They have at the very least, basic combat training. Yes they have far better security so it would probably never come to that but that is a separate issue. While I appreciate the fact that if there is an emergency the crew will hopefully help me get off the A/C I am pretty sure if I see a fire, I am going to be able to get my self out of the first hole I see with out any need for encouragement. If there is a 1 life vest but 2 people (one of whom is a FA), who gets the vest? How many people will sacrifice their life for another? Not sure I could. Remember that guy in the river when that Air Florida plane crashed? How many of you would do that?

I am not saying that you guys are “trolly dollies†but I think there are a few out there who seem to think they are more important than they are. I cannot recall the last time I saw an interview where someone was praising the heroic efforts of a FA under fire. I did remember the interviews with the UA pilot who guided in the DC10 in. The AH pilots in the convertible 737 … etc.

OK, I’ve said my piece. I have my flak jacket on, so let’em rip.

 

[TransWorldONE]

Garfield wrote,

"I cannot recall the last time I saw an interview where someone was praising the heroic efforts of a FA under fire. I did remember the interviews with the UA pilot who guided in the DC10 in. The AH pilots in the convertible 737 … etc."

Wow Gar you are brave...I guess everyone has an opinion, but have you ever heard of Uli Derickson or seen the movie with Linsay Wagner portraying her, (oh btw she was a twa flight attendant) Her actions saved countless lives during the hijacking of flt 847 in 1985. The movie Delta Force was also based on that event. She is the epitome of a hero to me.
I know another flight attendant that had to calm passengers after a bomb went off on one of our 727s from Rome to Athens, sucking four passengers out of a 3 foot hole in a matter of seconds. She had to calm passengers while covering body parts with linen from first class, sounds pretty heroic to me,
Evacuating a full burning L1011 in a matter of seconds at JFK without any loss of life, (except for the plane), pretty heroic to me...I could go on.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Hope I didn't start anything over here. I originally posted this on the US Airways forum because of a thread a few months back that degenerated into a "glorified cocktail waitress - passenger safety" debate. The moderators moved it here almost immediately.

Jim

Oh, the "trolly dolly" was meant in jest though that is the Brit "civilian" slang used.

 

[TWAnr]

The way I see it is that the A/C’s were taken over because the FA’s and the pilots were not trained or capable of retaining control of the aircraft in that situation. I do not blame them. They did the best they could with the skills and tools at their disposal.

Garfield,

That is a very uninformed post.

Until September 11, 2001, United States flight crews were trained to cooperate with hijackers and not to resist them because historically that was the best way to minimize injuries and casualties.

 

[Garfield1966]

OK, forget what I posted. I sent a message to the moderator to delete my post. I do not feel like getting into this any more and I realize this is going to piss off to many people.

Sorry for any offense.

 

[L1011Ret]

Yes, Garfield you probably are going to. There are posters on this board who are very familiar with Uli Derickson's heroics. I used to live close to Uli and Russ in NJ and was well versed in what she went through. And I was a human factors investigator on the TWA L-1011 that burned at JFK also mentioned on the BB. I know what a great job the F/As did evacuating that aircraft and I am also quite familiar with the bomb incident on the TWA Rome-Athens flight. Another showing of outstanding courage and professionalism under fire. I am quite aware that a major duty of F/As is, or maybe now in the days of reduced meal service or was "trolley dolly." However, that is only one role they play on aircraft. The other is all about safety. Let us not pigeon hole some group into only one aspect of their role and then use that to minimize their contributions to airline safety. We could do the same to crew schedulers, but lets not go there.

 

[Garfield1966]

That was not my intent.

 

[L1011Ret]

Probably not, but it was interpreted that way. Regards.

 

[jimntx]

I know another flight attendant that had to calm passengers after a bomb went off on one of our 727s from Rome to Athens, sucking four passengers out of a 3 foot hole in a matter of seconds. She had to calm passengers while covering body parts with linen from first class, sounds pretty heroic to me,

I was working at Texaco in the Information Technology Department (although they called it Computer Services, at the time). My boss was on that Rome to Athens flight sitting 2 rows aft of the hole in the side of the a/c.

When he returned to Houston, he could not say enough about American technology (the fact that the a/c held together with that hole in the side) and the professionalism of the crew in protecting passengers and getting that seriously wounded bird on the ground safely.

 

[Cart Pusher]

I couldn't help but mention Robin Fech as well. She was an ASA Flight Attendant that, after the crash of their EMB-120 flight 529 in 1995, continued working until the rescuers showed up and relieved her of her duties. All the while, I might add, while making wages that are comparable to those of a minimum wage job. You far underestimate Fligth Attendants and their willingness and ability to save lives in unspeakable tragedy, often times putting their own lives on the line.

Let us not also forget the UA F/A's on the ill-fate DC-10 that crashed in Sioux City, IA - if not for their preparedness many more would have died.

 

[LiveInAHotel]

OK, forget what I posted. I sent a message to the moderator to delete my post. I do not feel like getting into this any more and I realize this is going to piss off to many people.

Sorry for any offense.

village idiot (you know who you are)

Crew Idiot,

That is the best post I have seen you make. I agree keep your trap shut and let's hope they delete it! If you feel like you're going to get crap for a post you make, why make it? Why do you say crap like that? This just shows you enjoy making our lives a living hell!

I'm looking forward to seeing what AA has to say when they put you on the firing line!

 

[AC AA LA FA]

Garf......o God what were you thinking.......now I have heard it and seen it all on USaviation..BB...

It pretty much sums it up when you say that you could find your own way out of that burning aircraft be yourself-while you do that, I will do what I am trained to do and ensure all others are assisted and that their lives may be saved as well-
Is that being a hero? Maybe-but then again the Crw Skd that rlsd a F/A for her wedding day may be a hero as well-Who am I-or-you to make that call..

AC

 

[medr]

I do not feel like getting into this any more and I realize this is going to piss off to many people.

Garfield,

Isn't that what you wanted? To piss off people? And denigrate flight attendants? And in the name of 9/11?

 

[woztwa]

I do not feel like getting into this any more and I realize this is going to piss off to many people.

Garfield,

Isn't that what you wanted? To piss off people? And denigrate flight attendants? And in the name of 9/11?

Garf-you pissed alot of people off----
but I have never been so proud of my profession until reading the responses here-
THANK YOU, everyone for acknowledging our unsung heros and why we do this..
Thank You!