United Airlines Flight 175

United Airlines Flight 175 was an American passenger flight from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport in California. On the morning of September 11, 2001, the plane was hijacked by five terrorists as part of a large attack. The plane, a Boeing 767-200, was flown on purpose into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Everyone on the plane and many people inside the tower lost their lives.

The flight left Boston at 8:14 AM. About 28 minutes later, the hijackers hurt crew members, took over the plane, and took control from the pilots. Marwan al-Shehhi, who had learned to fly for this purpose, steered the plane into the South Tower between floors 77 and 85 at 9:03 AM. This attack happened only minutes after another plane hit the North Tower. The crash and fires caused the South Tower to fall down just over an hour later.

Background

Attacks

Main article: September 11 attacks

The flight was taken over by a group of people as part of the September 11 attacks. They were led by a man named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who planned the event. The attacks were carried out because of disagreements the group had with the United States’ actions. The World Trade Center was chosen as a target because it was a very important building in America.

Hijackers

The group that took over United Airlines Flight 175 was led by a man named Marwan al-Shehhi. He came from the United Arab Emirates and studied in Hamburg, Germany. The other members of the group came from different places, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. They trained in places like Kabul, Afghanistan, and Karachi, Pakistan, learning about safety and travel. They bought small knives and tools before the attacks and arrived in Boston from Florida a few days before.

Flight

Aircraft

The flight used a Boeing 767-200 airplane. It could hold up to 168 passengers, but on that day it had only 56 passengers and 9 crew members.

Crew

Gate C19 at Boston's Logan International Airport was the boarding gate of United Flight 175 on September 11, 2001. An American flag was added to memorialize the site.

The plane was led by Captain Victor Saracini and First Officer Michael Horrocks. The cabin crew included several experienced flight attendants.

Passengers

There were 60 people on board besides the five individuals who took over the plane. Most were from the United States, with others from several different countries. There were also three young children on the flight.

Boarding

The five individuals who took over the plane arrived at the airport and went through the normal checking process. They boarded the plane along with the other passengers. The flight was supposed to leave at 08:00, but it took off a little later. During the flight, the crew heard a worrying message from another airplane, which later turned out to be from a plane that had already been taken over. This was the last time Flight 175 was heard from.

Hijacking

On the morning of September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 175 was taken over by a group of people who wanted to use the plane for harm. Between 8:42 and 8:46, they scared the passengers and crew with knives and threats, forcing everyone to the back of the plane. They attacked the pilots and took control of the airplane.

The plane started to act strangely, changing its signal and path. Air traffic controllers tried to contact the plane but couldn’t reach it. They realized something was very wrong and tried to keep other planes away from it.

Near misses

As the plane flew, it almost hit other airplanes in the sky. It came close to crashing into a flight from Hartford to Tampa and another from New York to St. Louis. Pilots had to quickly change their paths to avoid a big problem. Later, it also nearly hit a plane from Milwaukee to New York, forcing them to dive sharply to stay safe.

Calls

Some people on the plane managed to make phone calls to share what was happening. They told others about the attack and that the pilots were not in control anymore. These calls helped others understand the danger before the plane crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

Crash

Flight 175 was a plane that was taken over by people who wanted to do harm. The plane crashed into a tall building called the South Tower in New York City. Everyone on the plane and many people inside the building were sadly killed.

The crash was seen by many people on television and in videos. It happened just after another plane had crashed into a nearby building. Some people were able to escape the South Tower before it fell down, but many were not able to get out in time. The crash also caused damage to another building nearby.

New Jersey Staten Island Upper New York Bay Port Authority Stanley Praimnath Daniel Suhr landing gear fuselage West Broadway Church Street

Aftermath

Main article: Collapse of the World Trade Center

When Flight 175 hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center, it struck closer to a corner and lower down than the other plane. This caused the tower to collapse earlier than the other one, falling down at 9:59 A.M. after burning for 56 minutes. The collapse was caused by the fires from the plane's fuel, not the crash itself.

Some pieces of the plane were found nearby, like parts of the landing gear and engine. Sadly, not all the people who were in the tower at that time survived. The flight recorders were never found. The names of the people who were lost are remembered at the September 11 Memorial and Museum. The government helped families with money, and many lawsuits were settled quietly.