Jason Dahl

United Airlines Flight 93

Company type	Domestic passenger flight
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1996 (aircraft delivery year)
Headquarters	Newark, New Jersey , United States
Products	Passenger air transport service

United Airlines Flight 93 was a domestic passenger service overtaken by four al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001, as part of the coordinated September 11 attacks. The hijackers planned to crash the aircraft into a federal government site in Washington, D.C. Their plan was thwarted when passengers resisted, resulting in the plane crashing in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all on board but preventing the attackers from reaching their intended destination. The Boeing 757-200, carrying 44 individuals including passengers and crew, was operating United Airlines' routine morning route from Newark International Airport in New Jersey to San Francisco International Airport in California.

Approximately 46 minutes after takeoff, the hijackers killed one passenger, forced their way into the cockpit, and engaged in a struggle with the flight crew while air traffic controllers monitored communications. Ziad Jarrah, who had pilot training, took command and redirected the flight toward the U.S. East Coast. According to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, the planned target was the U.S. Capitol Building.

The flight departed Newark at 08:42, delayed by 42 minutes. The hijackers waited for 46 minutes before initiating their attack, during which time hostages became aware of earlier strikes on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. By 9:57 a.m., passengers resolved to counterattack. During the ensuing confrontation, the plane crashed near Stonycreek Township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania—located roughly 65 miles southeast of Pittsburgh and about 130 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. One eyewitness observed the crash; news outlets reported it within an hour.

Flight 93 was the last of four planes hijacked on September 11 and notably the only one that did not reach an al-Qaeda target. Its hijacking was coordinated alongside American Airlines Flight 77, which had impacted the Pentagon less than 26 minutes earlier. Shortly after the crash, a temporary memorial was created near the site; a permanent Flight 93 National Memorial was dedicated on September 10, 2011. A visitor center with views of the crash location opened four years later.

Hijackers

The hijacking operation aboard Flight 93 was led by Ziad Jarrah, an al-Qaeda operative hailing from an affluent Lebanese background. Jarrah relocated to Germany in 1996 to study German at the University of Greifswald before pursuing aeronautical engineering at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. During his time in Hamburg, he became a committed Muslim and joined the radical Hamburg cell.

In November 1999, Jarrah spent three months in Afghanistan where he met al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in January 2000. After returning to Hamburg, he obtained a replacement passport by declaring his original lost. In May 2000, he secured a visa from the U.S. Embassy in Berlin and arrived in Florida in June to undergo flight training and hand-to-hand combat instruction. Prior to the attacks, Jarrah maintained communication with his girlfriend in Germany and family members in Lebanon, which raised concerns among plot coordinators who contemplated substituting him with Zacarias Moussaoui.

Jarrah was accompanied on Flight 93 by three "muscle" hijackers: Ahmed al-Nami (who entered Miami on May 28, 2001), Ahmed al-Haznawi (arriving June 8), and Saeed al-Ghamdi (arriving June 27 in Orlando). Their passports were recovered at the crash site. Jarrah’s family asserted that he was an “innocent passenger.”

Al-Qaeda had organized four teams of five hijackers each for these attacks; however, only nineteen individuals took part. The intended twentieth member, Mohammed al-Qahtani—who arrived in Orlando from Dubai on August 3, 2001—was denied entry by officials suspicious of his motives and financial background and was subsequently sent back to Saudi Arabia.

Flight

The commandeered plane was a Boeing 757-222, bearing the registration N591UA, which United Airlines had taken delivery of in 1996. Designed to accommodate 182 passengers, the September 11 flight carried only 37 individuals, including four hijackers, along with seven crew members—resulting in a load factor of about 20%, significantly lower than the usual 52% average for Flight 93. The flight team comprised Captain Jason Dahl (43), First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr. (36), and flight attendants Lorraine Bay, Sandra Bradshaw, Wanda Green, CeeCee Lyles, and purser Deborah Welsh.

Boarding

At 5:01 a.m. on September 11, hijacker Ziad Jarrah contacted Marwan al-Shehhi, the pilot-hijacker of United Airlines Flight 175, likely to confirm details of the attack plan. The four hijackers completed check-in between 07:03 and 07:39 Eastern Time. Ghamdi checked in without any luggage at 07:03; Nami checked two bags; Haznawi one bag at 07:24; and Jarrah checked in without luggage at 07:39. Of these, only Haznawi was flagged by the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS), resulting in his bag undergoing additional screening, though he himself faced no extra passenger checkpoint scrutiny. Security staff observed no suspicious conduct.

Boarding commenced with Haznawi and Ghamdi entering at 07:39 and taking first-class seats 6B and 3D respectively; Nami boarded at 07:40, occupying seat 3C. Prior to boarding at 07:48, Jarrah made multiple phone calls to Lebanon, France, and his girlfriend in Germany, having sent a farewell letter the previous day. He took seat 1B. Originally scheduled to depart at 08:00 from Gate A17 at Newark Liberty International Airport, Flight 93 was delayed until 08:42 due to heavy congestion at the airport. Before takeoff, passengers would have had views of the World Trade Center across the Hudson River.

Hijack warnings issued

Unlike Flight 93, the other three hijacked flights departed within fifteen minutes of their planned times. By the moment Flight 93 lifted off, Flight 11 was just four minutes away from crashing into the North Tower while Flight 175 was already being hijacked. The terrorists on Flight 77 had yet to initiate their takeover but were approximately nine minutes from entering the cockpit. At 09:02, less than a minute before Flight 175 struck the South Tower, Flight 93 reached its cruising altitude of .

During these unfolding events, air traffic controllers sent warnings through the Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). United flight dispatcher Ed Ballinger began issuing cockpit alerts to United flights at 09:19—sixteen minutes after Flight 175’s collision. Managing several flights simultaneously, he sent a cautionary message to Flight 93 at 09:23 following a routine ACARS transmission from that flight at 09:21. At approximately 09:22, after being informed about the World Trade Center incidents, LeRoy Homer's wife arranged for an ACARS message to be sent to her husband in the cockpit. At 09:24, Flight 93 received Ballinger’s alert stating: "Beware any cockpit intrusiontwo a/c [aircraft] hit World Trade Center". At 09:26, pilot Jason Dahl responded with apparent confusion: "Ed, confirm latest mssg plz -- Jason". The crew’s final communication occurred at 09:27:25 when they acknowledged routine radio traffic from air traffic control—this marked their last contact prior to the hijacking.

Hijacking

At 09:28, the cockpit was forcibly entered, by which time Flights 11 and 175 had already collided with the World Trade Center, and Flight 77 was mere minutes from impacting the Pentagon. In contrast to the other hijackers who acted within approximately thirty minutes, those aboard Flight 93 delayed their assault on the cockpit for 46 minutes. Records indicate the attack began no later than 09:28:05, causing the aircraft to drop about 685 feet in half a minute.

Cockpit transmissions and recordings

At 09:28:17, air traffic control (ATC) along with pilots in the vicinity heard indistinct noises suggestive of screaming or a struggle. A male voice was heard shouting, "Mayday! Mayday! Get out of here! We're all gonna die here!" This was later identified as First Officer LeRoy Homer. The plane descended 685 feet before leveling off. Flight 93 was unique among the hijacked flights in transmitting a distress call, likely because its pilots were aware of earlier attacks and activated their microphone during the confrontation to signal danger.

Authorities believe that near 09:28, hijackers killed passenger Mark Rothenberg, assaulted the cockpit, and moved passengers and crew toward the rear to prevent interference. Since many passengers reported only three hijackers, it is thought that Jarrah remained seated until after gaining control.

The cockpit voice recorder started at 09:31:57, capturing Jarrah announcing a bomb on board and instructing passengers to stay seated. This message was mistakenly sent to Cleveland controllers instead of passengers. The audio also includes groans from an injured man—likely flight attendant Jeremy Glick or crew member Sandy Dahl—who resisted the hijackers, possibly disrupting autopilot and radio systems to hinder Jarrah's communication efforts. A female flight attendant is heard begging before being silenced.

At 09:35:09, Jarrah engaged the autopilot heading east; the aircraft climbed to 40,700 feet, prompting controllers to reroute nearby flights. Shortly after Flight 77 struck the Pentagon at 09:39, Jarrah made radio demands claiming a bomb was on board and that they were returning to their departure airport. No further transmissions followed.

Throughout this period, sounds indicate hijackers struggled with autopilot controls. The injured man's moans continued until near the end of recordings at 09:41:56. Hijackers discussed bringing "the pilot" back, implying some crew members might have survived initial attacks. At 09:46, a United Airlines employee sent an ACARS message seeking confirmation that all was normal but received no reply.

Passenger and crew phone calls

Beginning around 09:30, passengers and crew started contacting officials and relatives via GTE airphones and cell phones, totaling thirty-five airphone calls and two cellular calls. Ten passengers and two crew members successfully connected, providing vital details to those on the ground.

Tom Burnett placed multiple calls to his wife Deena starting at 09:30:32 from rows 24 and 25 despite being assigned seat 4. He reported hijackers claiming possession of a bomb and that a passenger had been stabbed. After learning about the World Trade Center attacks from his wife, Burnett realized the bomb threat was likely a bluff and understood it was a suicide mission. He shared this insight with other passengers and helped organize plans to reclaim control of the plane, concluding with "Don't worry, we're going to do something." An unidentified flight attendant tried contacting United Airlines maintenance at 09:32:29 but failed to connect. Flight attendant Sandra Bradshaw called at 09:35:40 reporting hijackers armed with knives and a stabbed flight attendant.

The stabbed individual is believed to be Mark Rothenberg—the sole first-class passenger who did not make any call after the hijacking. Sitting next to hijacker Haznawi, Rothenberg may have been attacked either to intimidate others or due to resistance attempts.

Mark Bingham phoned his mother at 09:37:03 reporting three hijackers claiming a bomb. Jeremy Glick called his wife at 09:37:41 describing three men wielding knives wearing red bandanas; he remained on the line until the flight ended and reported passengers voting on whether to charge the hijackers. FAA controllers noted Flight 93 deviated from its course at 09:39 with its transponder deactivated shortly thereafter. Joseph DeLuca contacted his father at 09:43:03 confirming the hijacking situation.

Lauren Grandcolas made several calls during the ordeal leaving messages expressing concern. Todd Beamer reached out to his wife at 09:43:48 through GTE operator Lisa D. Jefferson reporting hijackers on the floor with one wearing a red belt resembling an explosive device. Beamer’s final words included "Let's roll" as he prepared to confront the attackers. Linda Gronlund left a message mentioning "men with a bomb" at 09:46:05.

Flight attendant CeeCee Lyles called her husband at 09:47:57 confirming the hijacking; Marion Britton expressed fear in a call recorded at 09:49:12. Sandra Bradshaw informed her husband at 09:50:04 that she was heating water to throw at the hijackers. Honor Elizabeth Wainio’s last call ended with "They're breaking into the cockpit." At 09:55:11, hijacker Jarrah set course toward Washington, D.C.

Bradshaw reported passengers rushing toward first class before ending her call. Beamer coordinated with operator Jefferson regarding plans to confront hijackers; he recited prayers before his final words were cut off by muffled sounds indicating action underway.

During these events, Flight 93 passed unusually close—within —to a NASA KC-135, underscoring how tense airspace conditions were that morning.

Passenger uprising

The uprising among passengers on Flight 93 commenced at 09:57, following a collective decision to intervene. As the hijackers reacted aggressively, the aircraft veered off its original path toward Washington, D.C.

At 09:57:55, hijacker Jarrah noticed the commotion and inquired, "Is there something? A fight?"

Passenger Edward Felt made a 9-1-1 call from the rear lavatory at 09:58. Dispatcher John Shaw answered Felt’s call, during which Felt reported the hijacking before the line was cut.<ref> Although several accounts mentioned Felt hearing explosions and seeing smoke, these claims were not substantiated by Shaw or Felt’s spouse after reviewing the recording.<ref>

CeeCee Lyles also contacted her husband, describing passengers attempting to break into the cockpit. In response, Jarrah manipulated the plane sharply left and right at 09:58:57 to disrupt the attack, instructing fellow hijackers to "Hold from the inside." At 09:59:52, he further impeded the passengers by pitching the nose up and down.

Audio from the cockpit recorded sounds of crashing, glass breaking, and screams.<ref> The cries of pain indicated that a hijacker outside the cockpit was likely assaulted. Jarrah regained control of the aircraft at 10:00:03, then asked if they should "finish it off," but was told to hold back. He resumed moving the plane in pitching motions.

Passengers could be heard urging action with phrases such as "In the cockpit! If we don't, we'll die!" at 10:00:25, and "Roll it!" which likely referred to using a food cart as a battering tool against the cockpit door.

At 10:01:00, Jarrah stopped his aggressive maneuvers, recited the takbir twice, and asked whether they should crash the plane; another hijacker confirmed this decision. The passengers persisted in their assault; at 10:02:17 one shouted "Turn it up!" while hijackers commanded "Pull it down!" Jarrah yelled "Give it to me!" possibly demanding control of the yoke.

The aircraft ultimately crashed into an uninhabited field in Stonycreek, Pennsylvania, roughly twenty minutes away from Washington, D.C. The final cockpit voice recording occurred at 10:03:09, with flight data ceasing at 10:03:10.<ref>

There remains discussion among relatives and officials about whether passengers successfully breached or entered the cockpit. The 9/11 Commission Report determined that hijackers retained control but estimated passengers were moments from overpowering them. Numerous family members believe that passengers broke through the cockpit door and killed at least one hijacker guarding it; some interpret audio evidence as indicating a struggle for control of the yoke.<ref>

Vice President Dick Cheney, located in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, authorized shooting down Flight 93 but upon learning of its crash reportedly stated, "I think an act of heroism just took place on that plane."

Crash

At precisely 10:03:11, the aircraft impacted a field near Indian Lake, close to Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The site was adjacent to a former coal strip mine called the Diamond T. Mine, which is under the ownership of PBS Coals and located in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County. The Boeing 757 had a partial fuel load remaining that detonated upon impact, generating a fireball that scorched a nearby stand of hemlock trees. Approximately one-third of the plane’s wreckage, including the cockpit section, was dispersed into the surrounding woods on land owned by the Lambert family, also causing damage to Barry Hoover’s nearby home. The remainder of the aircraft embedded itself in soil that had been transported there during reclamation efforts at the defunct strip mine in the 1990s. Both the fuselage and wings shattered upon contact with the ground, while one engine was found submerged in a catchment pond located some distance from the main crash area.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the airplane struck the ground at a speed of , descending nose-first at a 40-degree inverted angle. The collision created a crater measuring deep and wide. The coroner determined that all individuals aboard who survived until impact succumbed instantly due to blunt-force trauma. Early media coverage and eyewitness accounts reported crash times around 10:06 or 10:10; however, the official time documented by the 9/11 Commission is 10:03, derived from flight recorder data, radar tracking, infrared satellite imagery, and air traffic control communications.

Nevin Lambert, a resident of Stoney Creek, was reportedly the sole eyewitness to observe the plane in its final moments, seeing it inverted in a 45-degree nosedive. Other locals such as Kelly Leverknight and Eric Peterson recounted hearing the aircraft and witnessing a significant explosion accompanied by flames and smoke. Val McClatchey took what is believed to be the only photograph capturing the smoke plume from her nearby residence. In 2011, footage recorded by Dave Berkebile from nearly six miles away emerged, showing smoke rising from the crash location.

Emergency personnel reached the site shortly after 10:06. At 10:07, Cleveland Center controllers—unaware of the crash—alerted the Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) about a bomb threat on Flight93 and transmitted its last known coordinates; this marked the initial military notification regarding the incident. Ballinger sent final ACARS messages at 10:10 and 10:11 advising against diverting to Washington, D.C. FAA headquarters received confirmation of Flight93’s crash at 10:13. Shortly afterward, NEADS verified the crash with Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center.

By 10:37, CNN correspondent Aaron Brown reported unverified information about a large aircraft down near Somerset County Airport in Pennsylvania. At 10:49, Brown confirmed that a Boeing 767 had crashed approximately from Pittsburgh but lacked further details concerning airline identity or cause. This event generated confusion and led to false reports suggesting a second hijacked plane was targeting the Pentagon following this crash.

Aftermath

The violent disintegration of Flight 93 occurred upon impact, with most wreckage concentrated near the crater site. Lighter debris scattered up to eight miles away, while all human remains were recovered within an area spanning roughly 70 acres. Somerset County coroner Wally Miller cataloged approximately 1,500 fragments of remains—representing about eight percent of total human tissue—as much was destroyed by the crash forces. Identification of victims progressed steadily until all passengers and crew were positively identified by December 21. Death certificates classified victims’ causes as homicide and hijackers’ deaths as suicide. Families received victims’ remains along with personal belongings; however, hijackers’ remains were retained by FBI authorities for evidentiary purposes.

Investigators discovered a concealed knife inside a cigarette lighter shortly after recovering both flight data and cockpit voice recorders at the crash scene. Initially withheld by the FBI, access to the cockpit voice recorder was later granted privately to victims’ families; its transcript became public in 2006. As of 2025, audio recordings remain unreleased due to ongoing investigative considerations.

In recognition of their bravery, passengers and crew members (excluding hijackers) were nominated for the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001; this honor was bestowed in 2014 commemorating their heroic actions. Todd Beamer’s final words, "let’s roll," emerged as a powerful national motto symbolizing courage. Newark International Airport was renamed Newark Liberty International Airport as a tribute to those who perished on September 11.

Flight 93 has been portrayed in numerous films and documentaries such as The Flight That Fought Back, Flight 93 (TV film), and United 93. Additionally, History Channel’s documentary I Missed Flight 93 aired in 2006 featuring interviews with acquaintances of victims.

Following the attacks, United Airlines retired flight numbers 93 and 175 but briefly reintroduced them in 2011 for codeshare flights—a move met with criticism from media outlets and labor unions. United ultimately confirmed these flight numbers would not be permanently reinstated.

Potential Targets

The exact objective of Flight 93 remains unconfirmed. Investigators generally agree that the United States Capitol was the most probable target. Due to cumulative delays totaling 88 minutes, any casualties on the ground would have been limited even if the aircraft had reached Washington, D.C. The assault on the Pentagon at 09:37 triggered evacuations of federal sites, including the Capitol and White House, well before Flight 93’s earliest anticipated arrival time of 10:13.

Prior to the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Osama bin Laden, and Mohammed Atef compiled a list of possible targets. Bin Laden sought to destroy both the White House and Pentagon; Sheikh Mohammed focused on the World Trade Center; while all three shared an interest in striking the Capitol. Bin Laden instructed 9/11 planner Ramzi bin al-Shibh to inform Mohamed Atta that he favored targeting the White House over the Capitol. Atta consented to consider the White House as a potential target but retained the Capitol as a fallback option. Ultimately, Atta indicated that Jarrah intended to attack the Capitol. Although Atta briefly contemplated a nuclear facility as a target, he dismissed this idea after opposition from fellow pilots. Two days before the attacks, Atta stated that the White House was the preferred target for the fourth plane, with the Capitol as secondary. In cases where pilots could not reach their designated targets, they were instructed to deliberately crash the aircraft.

Following the events, speculation arose suggesting Camp David might have been a target. Testimonies from captured al-Qaeda operatives led U.S. officials to believe that the White House was intended; however, interviews with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and bin al-Shibh indicated Flight 93 was aimed at the Capitol. The 9/11 Commission Report credits passengers and crew members with thwarting destruction of either landmark. Additional testimony implies bin Laden favored attacking the Capitol. Bin Laden’s driver, Salim Hamdan, also revealed awareness that Flight 93 was headed toward the Capitol.

Fighter Jet Response

Two F-16 pilots from the 121st Fighter Squadron of the D.C. Air National Guard, Marc Sasseville and Heather "Lucky" Penney, were dispatched to intercept Flight 93. Since no armed jets were immediately available for takeoff, their plan involved ramming the hijacked plane if necessary. They did not intercept Flight 93 and only learned of its crash several hours later.

Billy Hutchison, an Andrews Air Force Base pilot, claimed to have sighted Flight 93 and intended to disable it using training rounds before ramming it. However, this scenario was impossible because his squadron did not become airborne until 10:38—thirty-five minutes after Flight 93 had crashed. Hutchison declined to clarify this inconsistency when questioned by the 9/11 Commission.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) informed the commission that fighter jets would have intercepted Flight 93 prior to reaching Washington, D.C., but investigators concluded NORAD was unaware that Flight 93 had been hijacked until after it went down. The commission estimated that without intervention, Flight 93 would have arrived in Washington by approximately 10:23. The 9/11 Commission Report noted that fighters from NEADS pursued Delta Air Lines Flight 1989, which was mistakenly suspected of being hijacked. The commission found testimony from NORAD and FAA to be inaccurate and lacking in transparency.

Memorials

In the aftermath of the tragedy, impromptu memorials emerged at the crash location, while organizations across the country swiftly initiated fundraising efforts to establish a permanent tribute. The federal government responded in 2003 by creating the Flight 93 National Memorial Advisory Commission to guide the memorial’s design process. A nationwide competition drew 1,011 entries, culminating in the selection of the "Crescent of Embrace" concept in 2005. This design incorporates a crescent-shaped walkway bordered by red and sugar maple trees.

The memorial’s design encountered controversy concerning its budget, scale, and symbolic elements. Initially, Republican Congressman Charles H. Taylor withheld $10 million in federal funding, criticizing the project as impractical; however, subsequent political negotiations led Congressional leaders to secure the necessary funds. Additionally, some opponents interpreted the crescent motif as bearing Islamic connotations.

By 2009, an agreement enabled the National Park Service to acquire land for $9.5 million. The Wall of Names was unveiled on September 10, 2011, followed by the opening of a visitor center in 2015 and the dedication of the "Tower of Voices" in 2018—both aligned along the flight’s trajectory.

Among those commemorated is CeeCee Lyles, a flight attendant honored with a statue in Fort Pierce, Florida. In 2007, a segment of U.S. Route 219 near the memorial was named Flight 93 Memorial Highway. At the National September 11 Memorial, victims from Flight 93 are memorialized on Panels S-67 and S-68.

On the sixteenth anniversary of the crash, Vice President Mike Pence lauded the bravery of passengers whose actions prevented further loss of life in Washington, D.C. In 2018, after extensive recovery efforts for personal belongings and remains concluded, remaining wreckage stored since the incident was interred at the site.

Victims

The nationalities of passengers (excluding hijackers) and crew members were as follows:

Nationality	Passengers	Crew	Total
United States	30	7	37
Germany	1	0	1
Japan	1	0	1
New Zealand	1	0	1
Total	33	7	40

Further reading

• [for children]

External links

• United Airlines Flight #93 Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcript from CNN (Archive)
• Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign (official website)