United Airlines Flight 93

United Airlines Flight 93
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Date	September 11, 2001
Site	Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupants	44
Fatalities	44
Aircraft type	Boeing 757-222
Operator	United Airlines
Tail number	N591UA
Origin	Newark Liberty International Airport
Destination	San Francisco International Airport

United Airlines Flight 93 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight that was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The aircraft crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempted to regain control from the hijackers. It was the only one of the four hijacked aircraft that day not to reach its intended target, believed to be either the United States Capitol or the White House in Washington, D.C..

Flight Details

The aircraft was a Boeing 757-222, registered as N591UA, operating a routine morning transcontinental route from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to San Francisco International Airport. Under the command of Captain Jason Dahl and First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr., the flight carried 33 passengers, two pilots, and five flight attendants. The scheduled departure was delayed by approximately 41 minutes due to routine airport congestion, a factor that later proved critical. The Federal Aviation Administration had been monitoring the flight's progress as part of the unfolding national crisis.

Background

The hijacking was orchestrated by the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, as part of a coordinated terrorist plot against the United States. The plan, later detailed in the 9/11 Commission Report, involved the simultaneous seizure of four commercial airliners to be used as weapons. The other three flights were American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, and American Airlines Flight 77. The operatives for the mission, including the four men assigned to this flight, had trained in Afghanistan and received support from elements within cells in Germany. Their selection of a Boeing 757 was strategic, as its transcontinental fuel load would create a massive explosion upon impact.

Hijacking

Approximately 46 minutes after takeoff, as the flight was cruising over northern Ohio, the hijackers stormed the cockpit. The hijackers were Saeed al-Ghamdi, Ahmed al-Nami, Ahmed al-Haznawi, and the tactical leader, Ziad Jarrah. Using knives and box cutters, they assaulted the crew, took control of the aircraft, and turned it toward Washington, D.C. Passengers and crew, using airphones and mobile phones, learned from people on the ground about the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This information led to a collective decision, led by passengers including Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett, and Jeremy Glick, to mount a counter-assault against the hijackers.

Crash and Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the crash investigation. The aircraft, inverted and traveling at approximately 563 miles per hour, impacted the reclaimed coal mine field in Somerset County at 10:03 a.m. local time, creating a crater and scattering debris over a wide area. The Cockpit Voice Recorder, recovered from the wreckage, captured the sounds of the passenger uprising and the subsequent struggle for control in the final moments. The 9/11 Commission concluded that the actions of those on board prevented the aircraft from striking its intended target in the nation's capital. All 44 people on board, including the four hijackers, were killed.

Legacy

The heroism of the passengers and crew has been widely commemorated. The Flight 93 National Memorial, administered by the National Park Service, was established at the crash site and includes the Tower of Voices, the Wall of Names, and the Sacred Ground. The story has been depicted in numerous works, including the film United 93. The event profoundly influenced U.S. national security policy, leading to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, and the subsequent War in Afghanistan. The phrase "Let's roll," attributed to Todd Beamer, became a national rallying cry.

Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2001 Category:September 11 attacks Category:2001 in Pennsylvania