9/11 Looking Back: Robert 'Bob' Craft

Delta Airlines Flight 109 departed Madrid at 1:34 p.m. local time, one hour, 34 minutes late due to the late arrival of inbound equipment. The flight was normal, with 92 passengers. Just before the radio handoff to Santa Maria Oceanic Control, Lisbon Control relayed the information that two commercial airliners had crashed into the World Trade Center. When we discovered it was a terrorist attack, we used Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System to contact Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to express our intentions to put the aircraft down at the nearest safe airport as soon as possible.

I was concerned with a possible bomb onboard. The only two airports that were close were Lajes and Santa Maria, both in the Azores and almost 1,000 miles from the closest land in Europe.

I briefed the crew and flight attendants and told them to turn off the “Air Show” and disable air phones in case we had terrorists onboard. I asked the flight attendants to secure the cabin and told them not to inform passengers about the seriousness of the situation. We started a slow turn to the south, and as soon as we were within 200 miles of Lajes, we descended to 14,000 feet, putting us in a better position to survive an onboard explosion and be close enough for a sea rescue, if needed. First Officer Kim Fieldstad was flying that leg. I asked him if he wanted to continue flying, and he agreed. I assigned flight officer Mike Kuhnes to stand at the cockpit door with the crash ax and flight attendant Sharon Pierro to stand outside to stop anyone from approaching the door. Our crew was acting as one.

Fieldstad made one of the finest landings he will ever make in his life. The runway was a World War II airfield. We could not make a full turn at the end and not damage the runway. We turned off before the end of the runway on the reinforced taxiway and proceeded to the runway in front of the gate area. We started the emergency evacuations of the passengers using air stairs. I was at the door to assist passengers and be in a position to depart the aircraft to deny the cockpit crew to potential terrorists.

I assembled the crew for a passenger briefing in the customs area. I told passengers what had happened to the World Trade Center. Most had already found out from CNN on the TV in the bar area. I told everyone that we were in this together and that we were now the family of Delta Flight 109.

We did a thorough walk-around to check all locations for bombs and moved the aircraft to the bomb-security area. The Atlanta airport told us that we would be spending the night.

The flight attendants did an excellent job of keeping order. By the time we returned for a second briefing, passengers were sharing cell phones and the medications they needed.

The station manager secured enough rooms between several hotels and private rooms. The bad news: Passengers would have to sleep three to a room. The entire crew and several passengers went to government housing at 2 a.m. We did not have hot water, but Fieldstad went next door, got batteries for the pilot light and solved that problem.

We contacted Atlanta for permission to return to Madrid. The flight to Madrid was uneventful.

After a two-day delay in Madrid, we flew the rotation home. The crew was welcomed to the departure gate by passengers with a round of applause. We had truly become the family of Delta Flight 109.

I have never been prouder of any crew I have flown with in my entire career.

Read more Longboat  9/11 coverage here.