Aviation Blog #6

The tragedy of 9/11 is still fresh in the minds for most of us. We can all remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news. For me, I was in Mr. Hayden's 4th grade class at Sauder Elementary of Jackson Local Schools in Massillon, Ohio. As a nine year old, it was difficult to comprehend the magnitude of what unfolded that fateful morning. The story that many of us tend to forget is the story of the plane that crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

 This flight was United Airlines Flight 93. This plane, among the others that day, was intended to be crash landed into a landmark or populous area of some sort. Its intended target is still not known to this day, but it is speculated that Washington D.C., Camp David, or possibly the Capitol Building were the intended target. Flight 93 was a regularly scheduled flight from Neward, New Jersey to San Francisco, California. Unbeknownst to those on board, four terrorists concealing knives and box cutters were on board.

When the passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 realized at around 40 minutes into the flight that they were under attack, they huddled into the back of the plane calling family members and people on the ground informing them of the hijacking. The terrorists had taken over the cockpit of the plane and told everyone over the speaker system that there was a bomb on board. Through the series of phone calls, the passengers learned that their plane was a part of a much bigger terror plot and took a vote to fight back against the terrorists. One of the passengers, Thomas Burnett Jr., told his wife, "I know we're all going to die. There's three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you honey."

As the passengers began their counterattack, the terrorist pilot began to pitch and roll the plane to try and throw the passengers off-balance in the cabin. The terrorists began to get worried that the passengers would break through to the cockpit before reaching the destination, so they made the decision to crash land it in a field. The plane was travelling at 580 mph and immediately shredded apart upon impact. The crash site was scorched due to the massive amount of fuel that the plane had on board. Trees surrounding the area burned for hours. Minimal human remains were found, but examiners were able to positively identify all 33 passengers on board that day. Currently there is a memorial located in the field as tribute to the heroes that sacrificed themselves for our country that day.