ARCHIVE 2001: Aerial view of the Pentagon three days after the 9/11 attack

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cedric H. Rudisill, taken Sept. 14, 2001. The official caption says it shows emergency crews responding to the destruction caused when a hijacked commercial jetliner crashed into the southwest side of the Pentagon during the 9/11 terrorist attacks; the photo shows the collapsed section, cranes, fire trucks and a large U.S. flag hung on the facade. The Defense Department says 184 people were killed at the Pentagon and aboard American Airlines Flight 77. The Supreme Court declined on Oct. 19, 2026 to revive plea deals for the accused 9/11 plotters (exeindex record dispatch:2026-10-19-us-ksm-plea-deal).

What

ARCHIVE 2001: Aerial view of the Pentagon three days after the 9/11 attack

Where

The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia

When

Sep 14, 2001

Who

U.S. Air Force (Defense Visual Information), via Wikimedia Commons

Status

Official release

Warning

Content warning: None shown. Building damage and rescue crews seen from the air; no people harmed are visible. The attack killed 184 people at the Pentagon. Graphic level: none.