Australian writer witnessed first plane hit North Tower on 9/11
An Australian novelist in Manhattan witnessed the first plane strike the North Tower on September 11, 2001.
Almost 25 years ago, an Australian writer sat at her desk in Tribeca, working on a novel, when she heard a jet engine roaring overhead. A plane was accelerating fast and low, not approaching Newark airport.
The writer looked up seconds before it hit the North Tower four blocks away. The plane went in and red flames leaped around its shape at impact.
Seventeen minutes later, the second plane struck. She left her apartment with passports and headed north to a friend's place in Chelsea.
As she walked, she turned to see what looked like an explosion sending clouds of dust across the streets. Ten Australians died in the attacks, mostly people working in the building.
Many Australian tourists were in New York that day, including swimmer Ian Thorpe.
Why it mattersA rare first-hand account from an Australian who witnessed one of history's deadliest attacks, capturing the shock and scale of the moment.
AustraliaAustralians and Australian tourists experienced the 9/11 attacks directly; ten Australian lives were lost, and the event shaped Australia's foreign policy and security stance for decades.
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