United Airlines Flight 93

United Airlines Flight 93 was a passenger flight that was taken over by four terrorists on the morning of 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 by stopping the plane from reaching its target.

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 that were happening 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 and strong they were in trying to stop the terrorists.

Hijackers

The hijacking of Flight 93 was led by Ziad Jarrah, a member of a terrorist organization. He was born in Lebanon and moved to Germany to study. Later, he traveled to a country where he met with a leader of the terrorist group.

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

The terrorist group had planned to have five teams, but only 19 individuals were able to take part in the attacks. One individual who was meant to join Flight 93 was stopped by officials and sent back to his home country.

Flight

The plane involved was a Boeing 757-222 called N591UA, given to United Airlines in 1996. It could hold 182 people, but on that day it had 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 all 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 hijacked by four individuals as part of a larger attack plan. The hijackers intended to crash the plane into a government building in Washington, D.C.

Passengers and crew members made phone calls to share what was happening. They learned about other attacks happening that day and decided to work together. Their actions stopped the hijackers from reaching their target, though sadly everyone on board did not survive. The plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, preventing a tragedy in the nation’s capital.

Passenger revolt

The passengers on Flight 93 decided to act against the hijackers. They voted to try to take back control of the plane. When the hijackers realized what was happening, they shook the plane wildly to try to stop the passengers.

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 get into the cockpit where the hijackers were.

The passengers tried to break into the cockpit, even using a food cart to hit the door. The hijackers fought back, shaking the plane and trying to keep control. In the end, the plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania before the passengers could fully 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, upon 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 created a large fireball and scattered pieces of the plane over a wide area. Everyone on board died instantly in the crash.

Witnesses saw the plane falling from the sky and heard a loud explosion. The first responders arrived soon after the crash, and news reports began to spread about the event.

Aftermath

Flight 93 broke apart violently when it hit the ground. Most of the plane’s pieces were found close to the crash spot. Investigators discovered small bits of debris, like paper and fabric, scattered over a wide area near New Baltimore. Tiny pieces were also found farther away at Indian Lake. All the people on the plane were found within a large area around the crash site.

Officials worked hard to identify everyone on the flight. They found many small pieces of human remains and managed to identify most of the people by the end of October. By December, all 44 passengers and crew members had been identified.

The passengers and crew of Flight 93 were later honored with a special award called the Congressional Gold Medal for their bravery. Their final moments inspired many, and their story has been shared in films and documentaries.

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

A beautiful memorial was built where the plane crashed. It includes a wall with the names of all the people who were on the flight and a special tower that rings with the sound of bells. Every year, people gather there to remember their courage.

Victims

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