On September 11 2001 Suzie Nash’s flight was diverted to Halifax. Here she is pictured with fellow passenger Ike. They are still friends today
A few weeks ago my cousin SUZIE NASH saw a post on the Musical Theatre Review Instagram account about my return trip to see the West End production of Come From Away, writes Musical Theatre Review editor Lisa Martland.
I just had to see this moving and inspirational musical one more time before its London run ends on on 7 January 2023.
After we exchanged a few messages – she was curious to know more about the show – I discovered that Suzie was on a British Airways flight from London to the US on September 11 2001. Not only that, her jumbo jet had diverted to Halifax in eastern Canada where she spent several days hanging out with her fellow passengers, sleeping in a gym and being looked after by local people. [Suzie’s family moved to America in 1982 when she was 10 and a half years old. While she is now UK based with her husband and two teenage children, her two brothers and father still live there.]
Keen to find out more, I decided an interview was in order. So here I am in conversation with my cousin, Suzie Nash:
What were your plans on September 11 2001?
My plans on September 11 were to fly back to Houston from London to visit my family.
How long were you on the plane before you and the other passengers discovered there was something wrong?
We must have been on the plane for about five to six hours. We were over the Atlantic Ocean when the flight crew and captain began to talk to us about having to divert.
When the plane landed, was it a while before you were allowed to get off the flight? What were spirits like, you must have been worried and scared.
The captain originally said we were being diverted to Montreal then it changed about half an hour later to Halifax as Montreal was full of planes having to ground. We were not allowed off the plane for ages, we sat on it for eight to nine hours. Spirits were good. I remember one man had a mobile phone and he was letting all of us use it to phone loved ones to say we were okay. Everybody was talking to each other and trying to gain information about what had happened. There was no sense of panic at all. It was quite relaxed to be honest. There was all-round disbelief about the news we were hearing, like the rest of the world. The captain would let us know bits of information when he got it. When he told us the towers had collapsed we couldn’t believe it. There was no access to television, so we couldn’t see any footage.
Suzie’s bedroom during her time in Halifax, the gym. Everyone had a mattress, one chair and a sheet
When did you have any idea of what had happened in New York?
We had an idea from the captain – when he explained that we had to divert because all planes in the air must be grounded asap – that there had been some sort of attack on America, but he didn’t know much at that point.
How did you and the other passengers react to the news?
We reacted in shock. We were all just dumbfounded and couldn’t believe it was happening.
How many planes do you think were diverted to Halifax?
When we finally got off the plane I remember there being jumbo jets parked literally wing to wing. There must of been 20 or so I would guess.
You couldn’t take your luggage off the planes, what facilities and provisions were offered to you by local services? There must have been so many people to look after?
We were taken through Canadian immigration and that’s when we finally saw a television, I remember it being fuzzy reception but we all finally saw footage of the horrific attack. We were taken to a university and to the gym where we all had a mattress and one chair and a sheet. They provided toiletries for us, toothbrush, soap etc. People went to different places through the city. Some women with small children or pregnant went to a person’s home.
Can you describe what you did to fill the days (how many were there?). Did you bond with many of the people looking after you/other passengers?
To fill the days we mainly walked around and explored Halifax. We had a “briefing” every morning with the crew to see if we were going to be able to fly and if we would go to Houston or back to London. This lasted five days I think. In the evenings we would sometimes go to a bar with other passengers. A lot of the time we hung out in the gym just talking.
I believe you made a really good friend during your time there, someone you are still good friends with. Can you tell me more about what happened?
I did, Ike, he was sitting behind me. I remember when the flight crew were told to line up over the Atlantic I turned to him to ask ‘Do you think something’s wrong?’ There wasn’t turbulence on the flight so we were all quite relaxed. He was from Fulham like me so we started talking and then we spent the entire time together. We are friends to this day!
Then and now: Musical Theatre Review editor Lisa Martland (far right) with her brother Timothy and cousin Suzie Nash
Your family and friends must have been so worried about you, were you able to let you them know you were okay?
I did use the kind man’s phone to ring my husband back in London to say I was okay. It went to voicemail so I left a message and he then told my mum and dad in Houston.
When you were back home, what was it like to reflect on that day, to think about the fact that you were in the air on 9/11. It must make a difference to have a friend who experienced it with you?
When flights were allowed again, as we were travelling with British Airways, it was decided that we would fly back to London. It was strange getting back into the same plane, we all sat in our same seats. There was no food and it hadn’t been cleaned. It was very surreal to be honest. I was sooo glad to see England’s green hills when we landed. It was a surreal experience but compared to what others went through on September 11, all those who lost their lives on that day, in the four planes and in the twin towers, the first responders, I just felt lucky to be okay. Yes, it was nice and is nice to have gone through it with somebody.
What do you know about Come From Away the musical?
I don’t know much, just a bit about the story being located in Canada and that it’s about a town that welcomed people off a flight/flights that were grounded like me!
I feel like you must see the West End production before it closes, you would identify with so many of the events that take place.
I must see it, I need to book tickets!
- Come From Away continues at London’s Phoenix Theatre until 7 January 2023.
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