Pentagon Plane Piloted by New Jersey Man

BOSTON, MA: September 12, 2001 — The original pilot of the plane that slammed into the Pentagon had ties to South Jersey. Ironically, he also had ties to the building damaged by his plane. Charles Frank Burlingame III used to work at the Pentagon as the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. He was also a top gun pilot at one point.

Burlingame was on the American Airlines flight 77 from Dulles to Los Angeles, which was a regular flight for him. That plane was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon with 64 people on board.

Action News New Jersey correspondent Karen Rogers spoke with his only child, Wendy, at her mother`s house in Mays Landing. She wants her father`s memory to live on and says she just can`t stop thinking about his last moments.

Author: 6 ABC - Action News