United Airlines Flight 93

United Airlines Flight 93

United Airlines Flight 93 was a passenger flight that was taken over by terrorists on September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The terrorists planned to crash the plane into a big government building in Washington, D.C. But the brave people on the plane fought back, and the terrorists crashed the plane in a field in Pennsylvania instead. Everyone on the plane sadly died, but their actions saved many more lives.

The flight was a Boeing 757 flying from Newark International Airport in New Jersey to San Francisco International Airport in California. About 46 minutes after taking off, the terrorists took control of the plane. The people on the plane learned about the other attacks and knew they had to fight back.

United Airlines Flight 93 was the last of the four planes taken over that day. It did not reach the target the terrorists wanted, which was the U.S. Capitol Building. A special memorial was built near where the plane crashed to honor the people who were on board. This shows how brave they were in trying to stop the terrorists.

Hijackers

The hijacking of Flight 93 was led by Ziad Jarrah. He was born in Lebanon and studied in Germany.

Four other individuals joined Jarrah on Flight 93. Ahmed al-Nami arrived in Miami, along with two others. Ahmed al-Haznawi also arrived in Miami with another person. Saeed al-Ghamdi arrived in Orlando, Florida with another individual.

The terrorist group planned to have five teams, but only 19 individuals took part in the attacks. One person who was meant to join Flight 93 was stopped and sent back home.

Flight

The plane was a Boeing 757-222 called N591UA. United Airlines got it in 1996. It could hold 182 people. On that day, there were only 37 passengers, including the four people who took over the plane, and seven crew members.

The four people who took over the plane checked in between 07:03 and 07:39. They got on the plane without any problems. The plane was set to leave at 08:00 but had to wait because the airport was very busy. By the time it took off, other planes had already hit the World Trade Center in New York City.

Hijacking

On the morning of September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 was taken over by four people as part of a bigger attack. They wanted to crash the plane into a building in Washington, D.C.

Passengers and crew members made phone calls to tell others what was happening. They found out about other attacks that day and decided to work together. Their actions stopped the hijackers from reaching their target. Sadly, everyone on board did not survive. The plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, helping to stop a tragedy in the nation's capital.

Passenger revolt

The passengers on Flight 93 decided to fight back against the hijackers. They voted to try to take back control of the plane. When the hijackers realized this, they shook the plane to try to stop them.

One passenger, Edward Felt, called 9-1-1 from the airplane bathroom to tell officials about the hijacking. Another passenger, CeeCee Lyles, called her husband to say the passengers were trying to reach the cockpit.

The passengers tried to break into the cockpit, even using a food cart to hit the door. The hijackers fought back by shaking the plane. The plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania before the passengers could stop the hijackers' plans. Many believe the passengers' brave actions saved many lives by stopping the plane from reaching its intended target.

"Are you guys ready? Okay. Let's roll!"

— Todd Beamer's last words heard by operator Lisa Jefferson.

Vice President Dick Cheney, in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center deep under the White House, authorized Flight 93 to be shot down but, after learning of the crash, is reported to have said, "I think an act of heroism just took place on that plane."

Crash

The plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03. The crash caused a big fireball and pieces of the plane fell over a wide area. Everyone on the plane died instantly.

People saw the plane falling from the sky and heard a loud explosion. Help arrived quickly, and news reports started to share what happened.

Aftermath

Flight 93 broke apart when it hit the ground. Most of the pieces were found near the crash spot. Small bits of debris were found near New Baltimore and Indian Lake. All the people on the plane were found around the crash site.

Officials worked to identify everyone on the flight. They identified most of the people by October, and all 44 passengers and crew members by December.

The passengers and crew were later given the Congressional Gold Medal for their bravery. Their actions inspired many, and their story has been shared in films and documentaries.

The plane was meant to hit an important building in Washington, D.C., but the people on board stopped that plan. Because of their actions, many people were safe.

A memorial was built where the plane crashed. It has a wall with the names of all the people who were on the flight and a tower that rings with bells. People gather there every year to remember their courage.

Victims

The passengers and crew on the flight were from many different places.