Time

After a 25-minute delay, Flight 93 takes off but is hijacked at 9:28 a.m.

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

Flight 93 National Memorial

Significance:

Stop 3 of Story Tour

Time is an important part of the story of Flight 93. United Airlines Flight 93 was scheduled for a normal flight from Newark to San Francisco. The four flights which would be hijacked on September 11, United 93, United 175, American 11, and American77 were all scheduled to take off around the same time. Flights 11, 175, and 77 all took off within approximately 10-15 minutes of their scheduled times. Flight 93 left the gate at 8:01 a.m., just one minute late. However, take-off was delayed because of the airport’s typically heaving morning traffic. When Flight 93 left the ground at 8:42, the flight was running now more than 25 minutes late. At 8:42 other events were unfolding. Not only were the other three flights airborne, but Flight 11 was under the control of the terrorists and the hijacking of Flight 175 was in progress. Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 8:46, just minutes after Flight 93 took off. Flight 93 continued to head west to San Francisco. At 9:03 a.m. Flight 175 struck the South Tower at the World Trade Center. At 9:19 United Airlines began to send out text messages to pilots, “BEWARE ANY COCKPIT INTRUSION. TWO AIRCRAFT IN NY, HIT TRADE CNTER BLDS.” At 9:26 Flight 93’s pilot, Captain Jason Dahl responds, “ED CONFIRM LATEST MSSG PLZ – JASON.” Just two minutes later, at 9:28, the hijacking of Flight 93 most likely began. The struggle would be heard over the airwaves by Cleveland Airtraffic Control. The plane would drop almost 700 feet during the takeover. During the hijacking, a passenger and flight attendant may have been injured. Passengers will later tell family members over the phone that the captain and first officer are incapacitated in first class. At this point the hijackers began to push the passengers into the rear of the plane. The crew and passengers started making calls at 9:30 a.m., and found out about the towers. Thirteen people on board Flight 93 make thirty-seven phone calls between the hijacking at 9:28 a.m. and the time of the crash at 10:03 a.m. At 9:37 Flight 77 struck the Pentagon and those on Flight 93 found out the news as it spread. With this knowledge, the passengers and crew took a vote and decided to fight back. The struggle began at approximately 9:57 a.m., less than a half an hour since the hijacking.  

• Time

  
  

  Time is an important part of the story of Flight 93.

  Date created:

  08/31/2024

  Audio Transcript

  Time is an important part of the story of Flight 93. United Airlines Flight 93 was scheduled for a normal flight from Newark to San Francisco. The four flights which would be hijacked on September 11, United 93,  United 175, American 11, and American77 were all scheduled to take off around the same time. Flights 11, 175, and 77 all took off within approximately 10-15 minutes of their scheduled times. Flight 93 left the gate at 8:01 a.m., just one minute late. However, take-off was  delayed because of the airport’s typically heaving morning traffic. When Flight 93 left the ground at 8:42, the flight was running now more than 25 minutes late. At 8:42 other events were unfolding. Not only were the other three flights airborne, but Flight 11 was  under the control of the terrorists and the hijacking of Flight 175 was in progress. Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 8:46, just minutes after Flight 93 took off. Flight 93 continued to head west to San Francisco. At 9:03 a.m. Flight 175 struck the South Tower at the World Trade Center. At 9:19 United Airlines began to send out text messages to pilots, “BEWARE ANY COCKPIT INTRUSION. TWO AIRCRAFT IN NY, HIT TRADE CNTER BLDS.” At 9:26 Flight 93’s pilot, Captain Jason Dahl responds, “ED CONFIRM LATEST MSSG PLZ – JASON.” Just two minutes later, at 9:28, the hijacking of Flight 93 most likely began. The struggle would be heard over the airwaves by Cleveland Airtraffic Control. The plane would drop almost 700 feet during the takeover. During the hijacking, a passenger and flight attendant may have been injured. Passengers will later tell family members over the phone that the captain and first officer are incapacitated in first class. At this point the hijackers began to push the passengers into the rear of the plane. The crew and passengers started making calls at 9:30 a.m., and found out about the towers. Thirteen people on 

  board Flight 93 make thirty-seven phone calls between the hijacking at 9:28 a.m. and the time  

  of the crash at 10:03 a.m. At 9:37 Flight 77 struck the Pentagon and those on Flight 93 found out  the news as it spread. With this knowledge, the passengers and crew took  a vote and decided to fight back. The struggle began at approximately 9:57 a.m., less than a half an hour since the hijacking.