September 11, 2001, early morning.
Four airliners left California, with hijacked targets. Two of them (American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175) crashed into the North and South towers of the New York City World Trade Center. Our 47-story World Trade Center was destroyed that day. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Virginia, causing a collapse in its’ west side.
A fourth plane was headed for Washington, D.C, but was stalled when it’s passengers tried to overcome the hijackers. All in the plane died when it finally crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. (I lived an hour and twenty minutes away from Shanksville PA at the time.)
A Tribute To The Regular Hero (Flight 93, 9/11/2001)
I know all of those four 9/11 aircraft attacks (individual tragedies, stories of their own) hold many, many tales both of fear, courage, incredible heroism, tragedy, and incredible acts on the part of Americans. But what I want you to think about in my tribute post is the incredible story of what happened aboard United Airlines 93.
What happened aboard this plane was the result of the actions of several regular, everyday American heroes. I call them regular heroes because these were the type of people that have it in them to simply do what is noble, just and good—and if that means saving lives at the detriment of their own, so be it. These good people that still walk the earth are a gift of God to us as mankind.
They are living angels, these regular heroes.
The True Story of United Airlines 93: 33 Passengers, 7 Crew Members, 4 Hijackers
The plane left that morning from New Jersey, delayed by 45 minutes due to air traffic.
It was headed to California on a typical early-morning departure schedule, at 8:42 am. No one knew yet that the World Trade Center would be hit minutes later.
Less than half the max capacity were aboard the plane: which was lucky, considering none of the thirty-three passengers, seven crew, and four unexpected hijackers would survive the plane’s finale that day.
Around 9:28 the terrorists made their move. They crept into the cockpit: the air traffic controllers back at the home station heard a struggle, and “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” over the radio from Captain Jason Dahl (media source: Wikipedia):
A second Mayday call went over the radio, and the hijackers took over the plane, a moaning Captain faintly heard in the radio background.
Ziad Jarrah was the terrorist who took over flying the plane. “We have a bomb on board. So sit,” were some of his words. His first announcement (Wikipedia):
His second announcement:
A female flight attendant struggled with them, and was silenced either by death or a blow.
Around 9:35, Jarrah directed the plane, on autopilot, to turn around and head east. Air traffic controllers immediately worked to move traffic out of its way, as it ascended over 40,000 feet in the air.
Flight 77 had just impacted the Pentagon. Air traffic didn’t hear from United Flight 93 again.
Over 35 phone calls were made from passengers to loved ones, emergency contacts, and officials in the subsequent hour, using mobile and GTE phones. Tom Burnet, in rows 24-25, called his wife and told her about the hijackers, explaining that they had a bomb and he thought it was a ruse. His wife told him about the Twin Towers attack that just happened: Tom shared the news with those around him, saying “Oh my God. It’s a suicide mission.” He last words were: “Don’t worry, we’re going to do something.”
Others called facilities and reported the hijacking attack, including flight attendant Sandra Walsh who said that another female flight attendant had been stabbed (the one in the earlier struggle).
Mark Bingham, a 6’5” rugby player, called and told his mother that the plane was hijacked. Jeremy Glick, also over 6’ tall, and described as a “teddy bear” by his siblings called his wife. His first thought was to lighten it with a joke about stopping the terrorists with his butter knife from breakfast. But he turned serious, telling her how much he loved her many times over. He stayed connected with her till the end of the flight. Todd Beamer, row 32, tried to call his wife but was routed to a GTE phone operator, Lisa. He described the hijackers and the bomb that appeared to be strapped to the waist of one of them.
CeeCee Lyes, a flight attendant described as a tough cookie by those who knew her, and a former cop, called her husband, who was also a cop sleeping after a long night shift. “I hope to be able to see your face again, baby,” she said. If you feel like crying today, listen to her recording (source, Wikipedia):
When she called him again, she was able to reach him, and he stayed on the line with her.
Lauren, a pregnant passenger two months along with her first child, left a heartbreaking message for her husband and love of 16 years. “Jack, pick up sweetie, can you hear me? Okay. I just want to tell you, there’s a little problem with the plane. I’m fine. I’m totally fine. I just want to tell you how much I love you.”
During this time, Flight 93 passed only 1,000 feet away from a military re-fueling aircraft. The pilot of that NASA Boeing said later how weird the dead silence on the radio was as he passed 93.
The passengers voted, and decided to revolt. Beamer was on the phone reciting the Lord’s Prayer with the GTE operator. His last words were: “You ready? OK. Let’s roll.” Others were beside him, praying. Felt called 911 and described the terror attack to a T. CeeCee told her husband the passengers were forcing their way into the cockpit. Beamer was last heard to say: “You ready? Ok. Let’s roll.” Another passenger, Elizabeth Wainio, told her mom they were rushing the cockpit. Glick told his wife to hold the line, and she couldn’t bear listening to what happened next, so she handed it to her father.
Hijacker Jarrah started rolling the aircraft left and right to knock down the passengers who were battering the cockpit door with a food cart (recorded on the voice recorder). By this time, the plane was crossing Pennsylvania, low enough to be seen by eye-witnesses who saw a plane going way too fast, way too low. Jarrah said, “Shall we finish it off?” The other hijackers were heard saying, “No. When they all come, we finish it off.”
A passenger was recorded yelling “In the cockpit. If we don’t, we’ll die!” amidst screams, and sounds of breaking glass.
Jarrah stopped violently bumping the plane around and started reciting prayers (called takbir). He asked the others if they should put it down. They said “yes, and pull it in.”
“Turn it up!” a male passenger was heard shouting. Hijacker responds, “Pull it down!” Seconds later, the hijacker was heard in a pleading tone, “Hey! Give it to me,” repeating that about seven times.
Last sound on the recorder was caught before the end came. The airplane started nosediving and rolled upside down. It picked up speed, and shrieking was heard on the recorder. The plane plowed into an empty field in Stonyfield, Pennsylvania, just twenty minutes outside of Washington, D.C.
The plane crashed into a field near Indian Lake and Shanksville, impacting at 563 mph, at 40-degrees nose down, killing all 44 people on board. A crater was left by the impact, 50 feet wide and 8-10 feet deep. The blackbox (voice recorder) was retrieved 25 feet below the surface of the crater. It was such a violent crash that light debris was scattered up to 8 miles away. Human remains were found within a 70-acre radius (and there were about 1,500 parts—the only one intact the most was part of a backbone). Listening to the recorder, family members of the passengers believe that at least one hijacker was killed during the revolt.
Aftermath
All passengers and crew on board were nominated, and granted, the Congressional Gold Medal Award. Flight number “93” was discontinued, and the building of several monuments and memorials to the history of Flight 93 have been started. There has been some controversy in the Pennsylvania memorial building—it’s still not up yet. A statute of CeeCee Lyles has been erected in her hometown of Fort Pierce, Florida. A part of U.S. Highway 219 in Somerset County was co-signed as the first Flight 93 Memorial Highway.
This incredible story of what happened on Flight 93 will live on in history. The men and women on this plane rose to an occasion that took them from being regular—a parent, for instance (in Jeremy Glick’s case, to his first daughter, only three months old: or Tom Burnett, father of three girls)— to a hero. Weightlifter Lou Nacke, passenger and a voice in the revolt, was a huge Superman fan. That day, he was Superman. Because of those brave people, not a hair of our White House was touched that day. And they were regular people. Fitting in a last minute flight for a work meeting; a trip with friends; or in 79-year-old Hilda Marcin’s case, moving across country to live with her daughter. They weren’t packing that day to fight for our nation. Yet in the end, that’s what they did.
Regular heroes.
When we think of 9/11, what do we think of?
Before 2001, it wasn’t much else than a regular date on a typical day in September.
Now, after 2001, all Americans know it as Nine-Eleven.
Because on September 11, 2001, four terrorist attacks masterminded by al-Qaeda happened that Tuesday morning. Life as we know it changed in America that day, that week, that month. Our nation was in a state of mourning. Over 2,900 people were killed because of what happened this Tuesday morning. More than 400 law enforcement officers and firefighters died trying to save the fallen.
But that day, there were a lot of “regular heroes”. People who died saving others and thinking of the greater good.
John 15:13 says:
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
I am thankful for these people today, and in my heart will always be their memorial.
Names of Those Who Died Aboard Flight 93
Tribute Links
Learn more about Flight 93 from History.com
NBC News, No Greater Love
The New York Times, A NATION CHALLENGED: THE TAPES; ”Voices From the Sky”
CNN, Flight 93 hijacker: ‘Shall we finish it off?’
Flight 93 National Online Memorial
Recommended Reads
Longman, Jere (2002). “23”. Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and Crew Who Fought Back
McMillan, Tom. Flight 93: The Story, the Aftermath, and the Legacy of American Courage on 9/11.
Fouda, Yosri and Nick Fielding (2003). Masterminds of Terror: The Truth Behind the Most Devastating Terrorist Attack.
Recommended Watch
United 93 (family members were consulted in the making)
Flight 93
The Flight That Fought Back
