Inside the 29 minutes that captured 9/11: CBS News cameraman reflects on what he saw at Ground Zero
In a Nutshell
CBS cameraman Mark Leganga captured 29 minutes of raw footage starting at the moment the South Tower fell, walking directly into Ground Zero without realizing the building was gone. He filmed firefighters’ safety alarms, a wheelchair rescue from the 68th floor, and the North Tower’s collapse while still rolling tape. The single beta tape records the instant chaos, dust blackout, and Leganga’s later reflection that his job was to document—not intervene—during the event.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m. Mark Leganga began filming at 10:00 a.m. He had no idea that the building had collapsed and was unsure if others around him knew either. He observed people running and initially believed part of the building had collapsed.
Mark Leganga is a camera person at CBS News who was filming on 9/11. The broadcast reported a plane crash on the southern tip of Manhattan at 8:52 a.m. Leganga was in the shower when his landline rang, followed by his pager and cell phone. The only information available was that a small plane had crashed into a building in lower Manhattan. He and Bo Whites, the sound person, were dispatched to lower Manhattan.
Bo Whites took still photos while Leganga filmed. They could see smoke and debris, indicating something significant was occurring. Leganga decided to proceed alone rather than with the sound person to move more quickly, leaving Bo with the vehicle.
Leganga explained that journalists are present to document events and the only way to see what was happening was to get closer. He stated there was no fear in his mind about walking forward. The environment was described as having very little color due to dust from the South Tower, appearing almost like a gray desert where it was difficult to orient oneself.
Leganga did not initially realize that a tower was missing. He did not register that all the debris, dust, and gray material on the ground was from the collapsed tower. He was positioned at the base of the North Tower looking up, observing fires from where the plane had crashed into it.
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