Betty Ong

Not to be confused with Betty Ang.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Ong.
Betty Ong
鄧月薇
Photograph of Ong
Born
Betty Ann Ong

(1956-02-05)February 5, 1956
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 11, 2001(2001-09-11) (aged 45)
North Tower, New York City, U.S.
Cause of deathPlane crash during the September 11 attacks
OccupationFlight attendant
Known forAlerting American Airlines staff of Flight 11's hijacking
Betty Ong
Traditional Chinese鄧月薇
Simplified Chinese邓月薇
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinDèng Yuèwēi
Wade–GilesDeng4 Yue4 wei1
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingdang6 jyut6 mei4
other Yue
Taishaneseang4 ngut4 mi3

Betty Ann Ong[1] (Chinese: 鄧月薇, Taishanese Ang4 ngut4 mi3; February 5, 1956 – September 11, 2001[2]) was an American flight attendant who worked for American Airlines and boarded Flight 11, the first airplane hijacked during the September 11 attacks.[3] Ong was the first person to alert authorities to the hijackings taking place that day.[1] Shortly after the hijacking, Ong notified the American Airlines ground crew of the hijacking, staying on the radiophone for 23 minutes to relay vital information that led to the closing of airspace by the FAA, a first in United States history.[4] For this, the 9/11 Commission declared Ong a hero.[5]

  1. ^ a b "San Francisco flight attendant who died on 9/11 remembered as a hero". FOX KTVU 2. KTVU. 2018-09-12. Archived from the original on 2024-01-27. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  2. ^ "North Pool: Panel N-74 – Betty Ann Ong". National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  3. ^ "Betty Ong: Unsung Hero of Sept. 11". National Public Radio. 2004-09-10. Archived from the original on 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  4. ^ Knipp, Steven (2015-09-07). "The Unknown Chinese-American Heroine of September 11, 2001". History HNN News Network. Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  5. ^ "Remembering Betty Ong as 9/11 approaches". ABC 7 Eyewitness News. WABC-TV. 2011-09-08. Archived from the original on 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2021-05-15.