By Fire Chief Emeritus Michael Louis Kuk, PhD.
Without question, the story of United Airlines Flight 93 is one of the most profoundly moving and heroic chapters in American history. It is a narrative that shifts rapidly from a routine morning flight to a terrifying crisis, and ultimately to a self-sacrificing battle that saved countless lives.
A beautiful Tuesday morning was found everywhere when Flight 93 went airborne on the morning of September 11, 2001. As the early hours of the day unfolded, a rush of unknown terror filled the airspace of the upper eastern part of the United States, and one of America’s most infamous events started to unravel a peaceful passage of time in the skies.
One cannot imagine the horror that the plane’s crew and passengers faced that morning in the confined space of an aircraft. It should have been an enjoyable experience of flight and travel to arrive at destinations of living a full life in the freedom of America.
The terrorists did not win that morning on Flight 93. A group of determined American Patriots came together in mind, spirit, and courage to thwart the evil plans that America’s enemies wanted to carry out.
America has been built upon sacrifice, and it was that same manner of resolve and sacrifice that stood up to evil, and win another battle for freedom. The cost was high, but it will never be forgotten, and America will continue to be the bastion of freedom for the rest of the world to behold. America’s defenders that morning were inspired to do what is right and just for the cause of mankind to sustain life and liberty, despite the cost of paying for it with their lives.
The Delayed Departure
Out of the four flights involved on that fateful morning, there was one major scheduling glitch which caused a delay in the departure of the fourth aircraft at the Newark International Airport.
Thus United Airlines Flight 93 was not on time on the runway, causing the aircraft to not be in sync with the other three flights, all of which were headed for their respective flight paths to cause a massive wave of destruction.
First of all, United Airlines Flight 93 was a fairly new Boeing Model 757 aircraft at that timeframe in air travel. The Boeing sported a large fuselage body with a modern design and powerful engines for excellent thrust in takeoffs. It easily established itself as a trusted aircraft in the skies around the world. Being highly respected by the flight crews, and enjoyed by the countless number of passengers whenever a flight went airborne, people were delighted to board that plane to their destination.
On that sunny Tuesday morning, it was scheduled to fly from Newark International Airport in New Jersey to San Francisco, California. Pretty much a routine westbound flight for the crew, and with excellent weather conditions, a stable and safe journey to be welcomed by the passengers, who were embarking on both business and pleasure activities.
- The Crew and Passengers: On board were 7 crew members (including Captain Jason Dahl and First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr.) and 33 passengers.
- The Hijackers: Mingled among them were the four hijackers: Ziad Jarrah (the pilot), Ahmed al-Nami, Ahmed al-Haznawi, and Saeed al-Ghamdi.
- The Delay: The flight was scheduled to take off at 8:01 AM, but heavy airport traffic delayed their departure. The disruption of more and more flight delays of both arrivals and departures gave challenges of increased air traffic flow at Newark International.
This growing situation compounded what the air traffic controllers were dealing with on a daily basis. A lot of travelers were opting to use Newark and then take other ground modes of transportation into New York City.
The plane didn’t lift off until 8:42 AM—just four minutes before the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. This 41-minute delay would inadvertently change the course of history.
Information Trickles In
For the first 45 minutes, the flight proceeded normally. The aircraft kept gaining altitude and traversing the skies smoothly to its determined flight path. There was quiet and calm in the passenger section of the plane. Light breakfast snacks and beverages were being served, and no one expected anything to turn ugly. The plane finally reached its cruising altitude of 35,000 feet over Pennsylvania and turned west toward Ohio.
Meanwhile, the world below was fracturing. New York City and its population throughout the five boroughs was being thrust rapidly into a war zone. An unknown enemy, a ponderous destruction of iconic buildings, with death appearing everywhere on the streets below, and without question, something horrific attacking everyone’s lives in lower Manhattan. Of which New Yorkers were totally unprepared for.
The first tower struck at the World Trade Center was thought to be an accident. A real tragedy that was going to test New York City’s 1st Responders. No one thought it was an act of terror. Just horrible bad luck and very poor judgment on the pilot of the aircraft.
The tower appeared stable, despite the elevated crash and fire, with heavy dark smoke issuing forth from the impact zone. Everyone had faith that New York’s Bravest of the FDNY would handle the fire, rescue the building’s occupants, and get everything under control, despite the high-rise challenges that come with the duty of serving as a firefighter in our Nation’s largest city.
But by 9:03 AM, the second tower was hit by another terrorist controlled aircraft. This act quickly changed everyone’s thinking that we are now dealing with acts of terror via aircraft as weapons of mass destruction.
By 9:24 AM, United Airlines dispatchers began sending out text message warnings to all of their pilots: “Beware any cockpit intrusion—Two aircraft have now hit the World Trade Center in an act of terror.”
At 9:26 AM, Captain Dahl responded, asking for more clarification. In his mind, he had to be asking himself, would he and his aircraft become involved in an attack of some sort while still in the sky? He probably was also asking his co-pilot if any of this seemed real, and to watch the radar screen closely for any approaching aircraft near or on their flight path. Unfortunately it was his last normal communication. Flight 93’s radio traffic stopped at that moment.
The Takeover (9:28 AM)
At 9:28 AM, all hell broke loose on Flight 93. The aircraft was flying over Cleveland, Ohio at that moment, and the hijackers immediately started their attack in the air. The four terrorists quickly scrambled out of their seats, grabbing passengers and cabin crew members. They displayed knives and large razor like construction blades to everyone. Although not confirmed, it is believed that one terrorist struck an innocent passenger with his improvised weapon, causing them harm. This cowardly act sent a shockwave to all who witnessed the attack that this was for real! War in the air was just declared by the terrorists!
Meanwhile on the ground, air traffic controllers suddenly heard unmistakable bursts of screaming, scuffling, and shouts of “Get out of here!” over the cockpit radio. The hijackers, armed with their small knives, managed to gain entry into the cockpit. The crush of foreboding trouble was now at the threshold for the United Airlines’ pilots and personnel of Flight 93.
They first turned their attention to the pilot and co-pilot by shouting at them to leave their seats and controls, while directly forcing them to comply with their concealed weapons being waved wildly in the atmosphere. They also loudly proclaimed to have a hidden bomb on board, and would activate it if their orders were not obeyed immediately. Despite their commands in broken English, their message of terror was well understood by all.
Of special note regarding the bomb, it was found that during the intense post-crash investigation on the ground near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, it was determined and later revealed to be a fake threat, as no debris evidence yielded any bomb and/or incendiary materials. It was one of the hijackers’ scary maneuvers to force their way into the cockpit for control of the aircraft.
Once the terrorists gained control of the aircraft and were firmly seated in the cockpit, Jarrah took the controls in a rather calm and determined manner, thereby turning the plane around from its original flight path. He then headed back in an easterly direction. His new flight path actually shadowed US Route 30 on the ground below.
US Route 30 is very well known as the Lincoln Highway. This notable roadway stretches across our Nation, encompassing 3,000 miles. During his time in office, President Lincoln used that path of travel to return to his home state of Illinois during his presidency. Thus, US Route 30 will take one directly into DC, and then with a few extra turns, it becomes an easy connection to Pennsylvania Avenue and the White House.
Of course, with the Capitol also being in close reach from Pennsylvania Avenue and Route 30, both nearby historic structures would be of immeasurable target value to any terrorist. Overall, US Route 30 is a much chronicled highway in our Nation’s history. Our enemies know this fact all too well.
A noted railroad line also parallels the highway. The Union Pacific Railroad built their tracks to mirror the path of the highway. Union Pacific’s management wanted to provide a more rapid mode of transportation in the early days of America spreading westward, but also staying duly connected with the seat of the Federal Government.
By maintaining this new course of travel, and in concert with the highway direction of Route 30 below the aircraft, the evil mindset of terrorist/pilot Jarrah was truly aiming directly for Washington, D.C., and a handsome collection of America’s treasures in our Nation’s Capital.
His intended target is widely believed to have been the U.S. Capitol Building or the White House. It’s entirely possible that Jarrah was receiving critical damage information all the while in the airplane’s cockpit via a cell phone, and also being updated as to which target in DC would cause the greatest casualties and destruction.
The Airphone Calls: Operational Intelligence
While the struggles in the cockpit were going on, the other two hijackers forced the cabin crew and passengers to the back of the plane. Since the terrorists could not watch every angle of the plane’s new “manifest” hostages, they started to quietly communicate with each other via eye sight, blinking, and other body language to come up with a plan for a counterattack to regain control of the plane.
Some were hopeful that they were just hostages being held for leverage, but then they started learning about the Twin Towers attacks and the Pentagon strike. They then knew that this was a deathtrap, to say the least. Finally the passengers, with help from the cabin crew, began using the aircraft’s GTE Airphones and their personal cell phones to call loved ones and authorities.
Overall, in the remaining few minutes of life in the sky, they made a total of 37 calls. Through these conversations, a devastating reality set in, and it was confirmed that America was under attack, but not in a war scenario like World War II or even Vietnam. It was a combination of planned terror, with unsuspecting aircraft as the weapons, to render as much damage to America and its institutions of prominence. All on board came to realize the following and extremely shocking information:
- They learned about the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsing.
- They learned about the Pentagon being hit at 9:37 AM.
- The Hard Realization: They weren’t hostages in a traditional hijacking. Their plane was now a guided missile, and going towards an unknown target, to inflict death and damage to anything that is valuable to the United States. Ultimately, they knew that they were already dead, unless they did something about it immediately.
Some of the last conversations of loved ones spoke of courage in the face of death. “Deena, they are breathing fire. They are going to use this plane to destroy something. It’s up to us. I think we can take them.” — Passenger Tom Burnett, Jr., in a phone call to his wife, Deena. Courage was now replacing fear!
The Vote and the Plan
Putting fear aside and instead of panicking, the passengers organized. A group of fighters was coming up to take action. A core group—including Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett, and Jeremy Glick—retreated to the back of the cabin to formulate a plan.
They took a vote, and their decision was unanimous…they would fight back! It would be bold, but no other choice could be made. They knew that some would have to suffer injury and possible death to counteract the ongoing work of the terrorists. When one is in a confined space, with limited resources like a ship on the ocean, there are few options for defense. This is what they faced in the final moments of Flight 93’s time in the air. A fight for freedom!
Without question, they weaponized what they had access to—hot water from the galley, heavy catering carts, coffee pots, forks, and even rolled-up magazines. Anything that could hurt another human being was put in close proximity for use by the team. These items were ready to be used as improvised weapons of defense. Nothing of value was overlooked.
Just before the counterattack began, Todd Beamer tried to place a call to his wife, but couldn’t get through. He was connected instead to GTE supervisor Lisa Jefferson. She listened to what he said about going up against the hijackers. After detailing their plan and praying the Lord’s Prayer together, Beamer turned to the other passengers. His last audible words over the open line became the rallying cry for our nation:
“Are you guys ready? Let’s roll!”
The Counterattack (9:57 AM)
Todd Beamer’s open line was being heard intensely and recorded by the GTE staff on the ground. What the GTE personnel heard at 9:57 AM was the rush and noisy chaos of a group of determined American Patriots, going for broke in taking back the control of the aircraft, no matter what the cost. The passenger revolt against the terrorists began without delay. No one hesitated in going forward to do battle with this evil group, who only wanted to inflict death upon innocent people, and destroy their communities and livelihoods.
Beamer and his resolute team of fighters first sprinted down the narrow aisle, and knocked down the two main cabin hijackers with their improvised weapons. It is believed that the hijackers were quickly overpowered, thereby becoming knocked out and unconscious. It is also believed that they both suffered serious, if not fatal blows, to render them completely out of action.
Now the fight for the cockpit was paramount. Regaining control of the aircraft meant everything. Otherwise, this aircraft would find its target and submit a final succession of terror upon America. This bold action, led by a very courageous Todd Beamer, became the prime mission objective for the retaking of the plane. Mission failure was not the anticipated result.
Beamer’s team started using a food cart as a battering ram against the cockpit door. The cockpit voice recorder, via the back-up recording of the plane’s Black Box, captured the terrifying and chaotic sounds of the struggle. One could hear the smashing of heavy dishes, with shouting and indiscernible screams as the doorway was being rammed.
Inside the cockpit the two sole hijackers were desperately trying to keep the door blocked. Each new blow was weakening the integrity of the lightweight door and its frame rails. It was slow work, but Beamer and his fighters were not going to give up. Total success of disabling the hijackers was close at hand. Entry into the cockpit was the end game.
Now realizing that he was about to lose everything that the hijackers accomplished a short while ago, Jarrah was starting to panic. The door was failing, and he knew that one of the relentless blows was going to be the final straw to be broken for entry, thus he felt that he needed to take another course of action against the passengers.
So to throw the passengers’ attacks off balance, Jarrah began violently rocking the plane left and right with his joystick. He slammed it left and right to make the aircraft pitch itself into a series of scary shakes. Even though he thought he was gaining the upper hand, he quickly noted that no one was giving up. He figured that they would overpower him, and end his evil mission.
He even went so far as to pitch the nose up and down. This action had no negative effect on the passengers. They didn’t stop. They didn’t want to. They just kept pounding on the door, and Jarrah knew that it would soon be over for him. He would have failed in his mission to reach the inside of DC for a juicy target.
By 10:00 AM, Jarrah realized the passengers were seconds from breaching the cockpit and overpowering them at the controls. He felt that only one final piece of action would work.
The Crash (10:03 AM)
In his final and desperate act to prevent Beamer and the rest of the passengers from taking the wheel, Jarrah rolled the plane upside down. He could easily see the ground below him. He even caught a glimpse of US Route 30. Jarrah, now in a state of unforgiving desperation, took the controls, thereby moving the plane’s speed to a very high rate of descent. In the post-crash analysis, it was determined that he drove the aircraft into the ground at over 560 miles per hour.
Without any further embellishment, Flight 93 crashed into an empty reclamation coal field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 AM. The destruction and resultant fire was immediate.
All of the 40 passengers and crew members died instantly. The impact of unforgiving percussion would have easily killed anyone else being on the ground within a short range also.
United Airlines Flight 93 was only about 20 minutes of flying time away from the heart of Washington, D.C.