Charles Wolf watched as a hijacked plane flew over his New York City apartment on September 11, 2001, before it crashed into the World Trade Center's north tower, where his wife Katherine was working. Katherine died instantly, one of 2,977 people killed in the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks that day. Charles, who had met Katherine in 1988 and was a trained pilot, immediately knew something was wrong when he saw the plane flying low over their building. He called the FBI to report it as deliberate, which they later confirmed.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
When a plane flew low over Charles Wolf's New York City apartment on a sunny morning 25 years ago, he knew immediately that something was wrong.
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something → publish → morning
Seconds later, the plane slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center - where his wife Katherine, from Swansea, was working.
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Katherine → slam → Swansea
Katherine died instantly, becoming one of 2,977 people killed in the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on the USA on 11 September, 2001.
Charles, who subsequently led a campaign to ensure the victims' families and dependants were fairly compensated, said his "wonderful" wife would be proud of what he fought for.
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he → die → what
Charles first met Katherine in New York in 1988, when he was singing with a theatre group and she was a piano accompanist.
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she → meet → group
"We met quite accidentally outside the rehearsal hall and we fell in love with each other in about two minutes, and that was it," he said.
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he → meet → minutes
Charles said he "hit the jackpot" when he met her, adding: "There was no parting us."
Katherine took Charles back to the UK for a visit in 1989, as well as trips to parts of Wales that he admitted he "could not pronounce", including Machynlleth and Llanfairpwllgwyngyll.
uncertain
he → say → Machynlleth
"It was just the beginning," said Charles.
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Charles → say → ?
"We had a wonderful, wonderful relationship."
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We → have → relationship
At 08:06 EDT, on September 11, 2001, Charles kissed Katherine goodbye from their New York City apartment for the last time.
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Charles → kiss → time
Exactly 40 minutes later, a jet smashed into the 97th floor of the tower - the very floor she had been working on, in a new job she had started less than a fortnight earlier.
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she → smash → job
"I knew instantly when it flew over my building - our apartment building - that it was a twin engine jet at full throttle," said Charles, a trained pilot.
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Charles → know → throttle
"I knew it so well that I called the FBI and told them... 'That was no accident, that was deliberate'.
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that → know → them
"
A year later, when Charles met the FBI agent who took that call, he said the agent told him: "You were the first person to get us on to the fact that that was not an accident."
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that → meet → fact
Katherine had told her husband she was working in "building one".
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she → tell → building
After the first plane hit, news reports described the Twin Towers as "north and south" - and Charles did not know which was which.
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which → hit → north
But a mile from their home, he could see smoke billowing.
uncertain
smoke → see → home
"I couldn't reach her on the phone.
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I → reach → phone
Little did I know she ceased to exist the instant that plane hit the building," he said.
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he → know → building
Charles "could only assume the worst" until he had confirmation from her employers three days later that nobody had managed to escape above the 91st floor of the north tower - six floors below Katherine's office.
uncertain
nobody → assume → office
"She didn't know it was going to happen and she never felt a thing," he said.
"
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he → know → thing
In fact... all of her people right there, they were vapourised instantaneously."
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they → vapourise → people
He added: "You never knew it was coming - couldn't, not at 450mph (724km/h).
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it → add → mph
"It was not a blessing that I lost her.
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I → lose → her
It was a blessing that she never knew it happened, and I am grateful for that.
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I → know → that
"Not everybody got that.
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everybody → get → that
Some people had to make the decision to stay and burn to death or jump from the upper floors."
After the attacks, Charles led a campaign to ensure the families and dependants of victims of the attacks were fairly compensated.
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families → have → attacks
In total, 2,977 people - not including the 19 hijackers - lost their lives in the attacks.
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people → include → attacks
Thousands of people were injured or later developed illnesses connected to the attacks, including firefighters who had worked in toxic debris.
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who → injure → debris
Unhappy with the US-government run September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Charles successfully pressured the authorities into allocating funds more fairly and to more people.
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Charles → run → people
His fight later became the subject of a Netflix movie called Worth, in which he was portrayed by the actor Stanley Tucci.
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he → become → actor
Speaking to BBC-produced Newyddion S4C, external from New York, Charles said his wife Katherine would "smile approvingly and knowingly".
"
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Katherine → speak → York
She would say, 'I knew you could do it.'
uncertain
you → say → it
"Katherine had absolute faith in me.
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Katherine → have → me
Wales' First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth covered the aftermath of 9/11 while working as a BBC journalist.
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Minister → cover → journalist
He was on holiday with his wife Llinos and their daughter, and was travelling from Vermont to meet Llinos's parents, who had flown from Wales to join them in New York.
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who → travel → York
After being reassured his parents-in-law were safe, he headed to New York City, bought a mobile phone, and reported on the terror attacks, "knowing that the world would likely never be the same again".
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world → reassure → attacks
Although he had been to New York previously, he said: "I remember arriving and it being a distinctly different city.
"
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it → say → York
The smell, I remember still - the burning.
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I → remember → burning
I remember the sense of shock, which was palpable on the streets of New York."
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which → remember → York
The first minister said much of the history of the last 25 years "stemmed from that event".
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much → say → event
…and 9 more, not listed.
