Airplane fragment in patriotic box

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Box and airplane fragment from American Airlines Flight 77.
Airplane fragment from American Airlines Flight 77.

Object Details

maker

American Airlines

Description

Driving on a highway adjacent to the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, Penny Elgas stopped as she saw a passenger jet descend, clip a light pole near her, and then crash into the Pentagon. Arriving home, Elgas found this plane fragment in the back seat of her car (she theorizes that it dropped through the open sunroof). Feeling that it was her patriotic duty to preserve the fragment as a relic, she crafted a special box and lined it with red, white, and blue material.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

Gift of American Airlines and G. Penny Elgas

ID Number

2003.0059.01

accession number

2003.0059

catalog number

2003.0059.01

Object Name

Airplane Fragment

Measurements

overall: 22 1/2 in x 15 in x 3 in; 57.15 cm x 38.1 cm x 7.62 cm

associated

United States: Virginia, Pentagon

See more items in

Military and Society: Armed Forces History, 9/11

September 11

Data Source

National Museum of American History

associated subject

September 11 Terrorist Attacks

related event

September 11th Attacks

Attack on the Pentagon

Metadata Usage

CC0

Link to Original Record

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-5c3d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record ID

nmah_1194426