"WE ARE GETTING READY TO DO SOMETHING"

Passengers and crew learn from phone calls what is happening in New York and the Pentagon,

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

Flight 93 National Memorial

Significance:

Stop 4 of Story Tour

In little more than 30 minutes, the ordinary airline passengers and crew members of Flight 93 developed a plan and put it into action. During the cockpit takeover, the terrorists most likely murdered a flight attendant and one passenger seated in first class. The pilot and co-pilot were also incapacitated during the takeover. The remaining passengers and crew were forced to the back of the plane and told to sit down and  

be quiet. The passengers and crew began calling their families, friends, and authorities to report the hijacking. Thirty-seven phone calls were made by 13 people on board the plane between the time of the hijacking at 9:28 and the time of the crash at 10:03. All of the calls except the final two calls, placed at 9:58, were made from Airfones mounted on the backs of the seats in the rear of the plane. Airfone records revealed the name of the caller, the number they called, the time and duration of the call, and the row from which the call was placed. Two calls near the end of the flight were placed from personal cell phones. Several of the phone calls were recorded on answering machines when no one could be reached.  

The passengers and crew soon learned the shocking news that other hijacked planes had struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and quickly realized that Flight 93 was part of a larger attack on America. This realization led to a vote and a collective decision to fight back. They developed a plan and put it into action, waiting until they were over a rural area to take back the plane. At least five of the callers described the intent of the passengers and crew members to revolt against the terrorists.  

At 9:57 a.m. the passengers and crew began their assault on the cockpit. At least two passengers and one crew member terminated phone calls in order to join the revolt. The plane was passing over Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania by this time. In an effort to slow the uprising, the terrorist piloting the aircraft began to roll it to the left, right, and pitch the nose up and down. The cockpit voice recorder captured the sounds of the assault which continued until the time of the crash at 10:03 a.m. Over the sounds of the passengers and crew attempting to regain control of the cockpit, a terrorist shouted, “Pull it down! Pull it down!” In its final moments, the plane turned almost upside down and crashed into the field at approximately 48° angle. The crater was located in the general location of where the boulder now sits.  

• WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING

  
  

  In little more than 30 minutes, the ordinary airline passengers and crew members of Flight 93 developed a plan and put it into action.

  Date created:

  08/31/2024

  Audio Transcript

  In little more than 30 minutes, the ordinary airline passengers and crew members of Flight 93 developed a plan and put it into action. During the cockpit takeover, the terrorists most likely murdered a flight attendant and one passenger seated in first class. The pilot and co-pilot were also incapacitated during the takeover. The remaining passengers and crew were forced to the back of the plane and told to sit down and be quiet. The passengers and crew began calling their families, friends, and authorities to report the hijacking. Thirty-seven phone calls were made by 13 people on board the plane between the time of the hijacking at 9:28 and the time of the crash at 10:03. All of the calls except the final two calls, placed at 9:58, were made from Airfones mounted on the backs of the seats in the rear of the plane. Airfone records revealed the name of the caller, the number they called, the time and duration of the call, and the row from which the call was placed. Two calls near the end of the flight were placed from personal cell phones. Several of the phone calls were recorded on answering machines when no one could be reached.  

  The passengers and crew soon learned the shocking news that other hijacked planes had struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and quickly realized that  Flight 93 was part of a larger attack on America. This realization led to a vote and a collective decision to fight back. They developed a plan and put it into action, waiting until they were over a rural area to take back the plane. At least five of the callers described the intent of the passengers and crew members to revolt against the terrorists.  

  At 9:57 a.m. the passengers and crew began their assault on the cockpit. At least two passengers and one crew member terminated phone calls in order to join the revolt. The plane was passing over Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania by this time. In an effort to  slow the uprising, the terrorist piloting the aircraft began to roll it to the left, right, and pitch the nose up and down.  The cockpit voice recorder captured the sounds of the assault which continued until the time of the crash at 10:03 a.m. Over the sounds of the passengers and crew attempting to regain control of the cockpit, a terrorist shouted, “Pull it down! Pull it down!” In its final moments, the plane turned almost upside down and crashed into the field at approximately 48° angle.  The crater was located in the general location of where the boulder now sits.