Your Last Flight

On September 11th, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757, was delayed 41 minutes on the ground in Newark, New Jersey, enroute San Francisco. It was waiting for heavy runway traffic to clear.

Flight 93 finally became airborne at 8:42 AM.

Around 9:22, at least three of the four hijackers on board stood up and put red bandanas around their heads. Two of them forced their way into the cockpit. One took the loudspeaker microphone, not knowing that it could also be heard by flight controllers, and said that someone had a bomb onboard and that the flight was returning to the airport. He told them he was the pilot, but he spoke with an accent.

At 10:03 AM, according to the 9/11 Commission Report (other accounts give 10:06 or 10:10 AM), and as per eyewitness statements, the 757 was upside down when it crashed nose-first into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at an estimated speed of 580 MPH. It left a crater about 115 feet deep. All 40 passengers and crew plus the four hijackers were obliterated.

The destination was supposed to be Washington, DC. The United States Capitol and the White House were probable targets, with the Capitol being the more likely of the two. Had the plane struck either building, it may not have killed anyone other than those on board the plane. Both of those buildings had been evacuated by 9:45 AM.

But as opposed to the anticipated high death count from the World Trade Center buildings, striking the Capitol would have been more symbolic than anything else -- though a horrible blow to the history of this nation.

The largest flaw in the plan was the unforeseen 41-minute delay on the ground in Newark. Absent that, the strikes may have been close to simultaneous.

And absent the passengers of Flight 93 taking it upon themselves to fight back.

The first call at 9:20 AM from Tom Burnett, in answer to his wife Deena asking if he were alright: "No. I'm on United Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco. The plane has been hijacked. We are in the air. They've already knifed a guy. There is a bomb on board. Call the FBI."

Deena Burnett's phone rang again. Tom was there and Deena told him: "They're taking airplanes and hitting landmarks all up and down the East Coast."

"OK," Tom Burnett said. "We're going to do something. I'll call you back." The line went dead.

At about 9:55, Tom Burnett called Deena the final time and said: "A group of us is going to do something."

Deena said: "No, Tom, just sit down and don't draw attention to yourself."

"Deena," he replied, "If they're going to crash the plane into the ground, we have to do something. We can't wait for the authorities. We have to do something now."

A short time later, Todd Beamer put down the airphone he'd been using, but didn't hang up. "Are you guys ready?" Beamer asked. "Let's roll," he said.

Honor Wainio was speaking to her stepmother. "I need to go," she said. "They're getting ready to break into the cockpit. I love you. Goodbye."

One of the last conversations: "Everyone's running to first class," Sandy Bradshaw told her husband. "I've got to go. Bye."

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Fast forward to today: believing it to be your final flight, what would you have done?

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Tonight on A&E: "Flight 93." I was reminded of their sacrifice. I'm going to watch. To remember.

And never forget.