She made the historic first call from a hijacked plane on 9/11. 25 years later, her family met the woman who answered.
September 11, 2026 / 9:21 AM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- Vanessa Minter, an American Airlines reservations agent, received the first call from a hijacked plane on 9/11 from flight attendant Betty Ong.
- Ong relayed critical information that aided the FAA in closing U.S. airspace.
- Minter was the last person Ong spoke with before the plane crashed into the World Trade Center.
- Minter recently met Betty Ong's family, including her brother Harry and mother Gum, 25 years after the attacks.
- Harry Ong shared family keepsakes and expressed pride in his sister's actions, calling her a hero among the nearly 3,000 victims.