John Ogonowski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1951-02-24)February 24, 1951 |
| Died | September 11, 2001(2001-09-11) (aged 50) overWestern Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Plane crash/Terrorism (September 11 attacks) |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Spouse | Margaret "Peggy" Ogonowski |
| Children | 3 |
John Alexander Ogonowski (Polish:Jan Aleksander Ogonowski, February 24, 1951 – September 11, 2001) was a Polish-Americanaircraft pilot and an agricultural activist. A resident ofDracut, Massachusetts, Ogonowski was a leadingadvocate on behalf offarming in Massachusetts, particularly in aiding immigrant farmers fromCambodia,[2] whom he assisted as part of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. He was the Captain ofAmerican Airlines Flight 11, which washijacked byAl-Qaedaterrorists and flown into theNorth Tower of theWorld Trade Center as part of theSeptember 11 attacks. He is believed to have been killed by the hijackers prior to the crash.
John Alexander Ogonowski was born February 24, 1951, inLowell, Massachusetts, where he was raised.[1] He attended St. Stanislaus School,Keith Academy in Lowell. He attendedLowell Technological Institute (now theUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell), where he was a member of thePi Lambda Phi fraternity.[1][3] He graduated in 1972 with a bachelor of science degree inNuclear Engineering.[citation needed]
Ogonowski was a pilot in theU. S. Air Force during theVietnam War, assigned toCharleston Air Force Base,South Carolina, ferrying equipment to Asia and sometimes transporting the bodies of fallen American soldiers inC-141 transport aircraft. Following his service commitment, he resigned his commission under honorable conditions and separated from the military with the rank of captain.[1][4]
Ogonowski became a commercial pilot in 1978. For 23 years, he flew airplanes forAmerican Airlines, and was a member of the Allied Pilot Association.[1][5] Ogonowski had joined the airline as a flight engineer after previously serving that role in the Air Force.[6]
During the course of his commercial piloting career, he met Margaret, a flight attendant[1][5] who went by the nickname "Peggy",[7] whom he later married.[1][5]
Ogonowski was also an avid farmer, who secured 150 acres of farmland on Marsh Hill Road in Dracut through the federal Agriculture Preservation Restriction program. He raised hay, corn, pumpkins, blueberries, and peaches.[1] He was a leading advocate for farming in Massachusetts, particularly in aiding immigrant farmers fromCambodia.[2]
Ogonowski was killed onSeptember 11, 2001, while at the controls as captain during the hijacking ofAmerican Airlines Flight 11.[1][6] Following his murder, ringleaderMohamed Atta took his seat to control the Boeing 767, and crashed it into theNorth Tower of theWorld Trade Center.[8]
Ogonowski was survived by his wife Margaret and daughters Laura, Caroline, and Mary Catherine.[5] His younger brother,Jim Ogonowski, who is also an agricultural activist, made an unsuccessful run for theUnited States House of Representatives in 2007.[9]
In 2002, Ogonowski and Flight 11 flight attendantsBetty Ong andMadeline Amy Sweeney were the inaugural recipients of theMadeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery,[10][11] an honor that theGovernment of Massachusetts instituted to award annually at least one Massachusetts resident for displaying extraordinary courage in defending or saving the lives of others.[12]
Actor David Carnegie portrayed Ogonowski inBBC docudramaZero HourSeason 1: Episode 2 (2004) called "The Last Hour of Flight 11".[13]
A remote controlled model aircraft flying field in nearbyTewksbury, Massachusetts, was dedicated to Ogonowski.[14]
The University of Massachusetts Lowell, presented Ogonowski with a posthumoushonorary doctorate at its 2003 commencement ceremony atTsongas Arena.[3]
The USAID Farmer to Farmer program was renamed the "John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter FTF Program" as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.[15]
At theNational 9/11 Memorial, Ogonowski is memorialized at the North Pool, on Panel N-74, adjacent to the name of Kathleen A. Nicosia, a friend and flight attendant also killed on boardAmerican Airlines Flight 11 that day.[16]
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