25 years of 9/11 that reshaped America: How a single phone call averted attack on White House and US Capitol
PTC News Desk: Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the deadliest terror attack in history. The attacks killed 2,977 people and changed global security, aviation rules and US foreign policy, leading to the US-led “war on terror.”
On the anniversary, the story of United Airlines Flight 93 remains one of the most dramatic chapters of 9/11. After learning about the attacks in New York, passengers on the hijacked plane realised that their aircraft could also be used as a weapon. They then decided to fight back.
Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10.03 am, killing all 40 passengers and crew members aboard. Their decision to confront the hijackers is widely credited with preventing the plane from reaching its intended target, believed to have been either the US Capitol or the White House.
How Flight 93 became part of 9/11
The 9/11 attacks exposed several weaknesses in the US security system, including airport screening, intelligence sharing, immigration controls, cockpit security and the military response to hijacked aircraft.
The 9/11 Commission later said the aviation security system was based on an “older understanding of what a hijacking meant”. At the time, hijackers were generally expected to take hostages and negotiate rather than use passenger aircraft as weapons.
On September 11, four planes were hijacked and turned into weapons.
American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York at 8.46 am. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower. Both 110-storey buildings eventually collapsed.
American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon near Washington DC, killing people inside the building and aboard the aircraft.
United Airlines Flight 93 was the fourth hijacked aircraft. It crashed into a field near Shanksville after passengers and surviving crew members launched an attack against the hijackers.
According to the 9/11 Commission, Flight 93 was likely heading towards either the US Capitol or the White House.
The attacks killed 2,977 people, excluding the 19 al-Qaida hijackers. All 246 people aboard the four aircraft died, along with 2,606 people in and around the World Trade Center and 125 at the Pentagon. Thousands were injured, while many first responders and survivors later developed serious illnesses linked to toxic dust and smoke.
All four attacks unfolded in less than two hours.
What happened after Tom Burnett's final call?
One of the most important moments came after passenger Tom Burnett spoke to his wife, Deena, by phone.
During his final call at around 9.54 am, Tom asked about their children and told his wife that he would speak to them later. He then explained that the passengers were preparing to take action against the hijackers.
Tom told her: “We're going to take back the airplane.”
By then, the passengers had learned about the attacks in New York and realised that the hijackers could be taking Flight 93 towards Washington DC.
At 9.57 am, the passengers and surviving crew members began their assault on the hijackers.
The cockpit voice recorder captured sounds of the struggle, including shouting, crashes, thumps and breaking objects, as the passengers tried to enter the cockpit and overpower the hijackers.
Hijacker-pilot Ziad Jarrah violently manoeuvred the aircraft in an attempt to stop the passengers. However, they continued their attempt to reach the cockpit.
At around 10.00 am, the cockpit recorder captured Jarrah asking whether they should finish the operation. As the struggle continued, the aircraft rolled and plunged towards the ground.
At 10.03 am, Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 passengers and crew members.
The aircraft never reached Washington or its intended target. The passengers' decision to fight back ultimately prevented the hijackers from carrying out what investigators believe was an attack on the heart of the US government.
- With inputs from agencies
