The first World Trade Center tower hit on 9/11 was the North Tower (WTC 1) , which was struck by American Airlines Flight 11 at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Time on September 11, 2001.

Key details

  • First impact: 8:46 a.m. ET, North Tower (WTC 1).
  • Plane: American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767.
  • Location of impact: Roughly between floors 93 and 99 of the North Tower.
  • Second impact for context: United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. ET.

Brief timeline snapshot

  • 8:46 a.m. – Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower (first tower hit).
  • 9:03 a.m. – Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower.

These times are widely cited in official timelines and historical references documenting the events of September 11, 2001.

TL;DR:
The first tower hit on 9/11 was the North Tower of the World Trade Center, at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Time, by American Airlines Flight 11.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.