On September 11, 2001, Michael Flannery was working just four blocks from the Twin Towers when the first plane struck. 

An NYPD detective with 11 years on the force, Michael was inside police headquarters when he felt the building shake. 

“I distinctly remember how nice the weather was that Tuesday morning,” said Michael, now an Endeavor Air pilot based in New York City. “We felt the impact, and it wasn’t until we looked out the window that we saw the North Tower on fire.” 

At first, Michael and his fellow officers thought a small Cessna had struck the tower. Then they saw a second plane hit the South Tower and felt the impact. They knew it was no accident. 

Michael and his NYPD colleagues immediately ran from headquarters, uncertain whether the building might be the next target, but knowing they needed to reach the Twin Towers to help. 

A few blocks into their journey, Michael heard the first tower collapse. 

“It was the worst sound I’ve ever heard,” Michael remembered. “Parts of the building and aircraft began falling around us, and the streets filled with dust.” 

“That was when the chaos began,” Michael said. “It was frightening.” 

The officers returned to headquarters to regroup and determine their next steps.

The days that followed 

On September 12, Michael was assigned to the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office, where detectives prepared to identify remains recovered from Ground Zero. 

He spent 16 hours there, but no remains arrived that day. 

The following day, Michael reported to Ground Zero with little equipment and helped wherever he was needed. He remembers the “bucket brigades,” in which first responders formed lines to pass debris away from the site. 

“Someone would call out, ‘Quiet. Quiet,’ when they thought they heard something, or someone, beneath the rubble,” Michael said. “Everything stopped, and everyone listened.” 

The New York Community 

In the weeks and months that followed, Michael witnessed New Yorkers come together to support first responders and one another. People set up stations across the city with boots, gloves, helmets, safety glasses, masks, and other supplies. Doctors, nurses, and other professionals offered their services to those working around the clock. 

“Everyone wanted to help in any way they could,” Michael said. “It took thousands of people to support the recovery from this tragedy.” 

Michael and other first responders continued their work at several sites, including the Staten Island Landfill, where debris from the World Trade Center was transported and carefully sifted.

Reflecting 25 years later 

As the 25th anniversary of September 11 approaches, Michael continues to carry the experience with him. 

He believes it is important to remember not only those who lost their lives that day, but also the first responders and civilians who continue to face illnesses linked to exposure to the dust and debris. 

The experience changed Michael’s perspective on life and taught him to be grateful for each day because no one knows what tomorrow will bring. 

“There was a great deal of bravery among members of the New York City Fire Department and the New York City Police Department,” he said. “Not just that day, but in the days, weeks, and years that followed.” 

Michael’s uniform may have changed from NYPD blue to Endeavor’s gold stripes, but the values that guided him then, including leadership, courage, and looking out for others, continue to guide him today.