9/11: How the Four Hijackings Unfolded, Minute by Minute | Documentary - video Dailymotion

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Our content isn't always ad-friendly. To support and also get exclusive access to extra content, please take a look at our Patreon: ► https://www.patreon.com/Top5sOffical  On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, millions of people were preparing for work. This included those heading to the Twin Towers, the iconic structures of the World Trade Center in New York City, as well as others travelling to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.   However, among the travellers that day were nineteen terrorists intent on using the planes they boarded as guided missiles to inflict maximum devastation on the United States and unfortunately, despite several opportunities to stop at least some of them, they accomplished their mission in the most devastating way possible. In this video, we will examine how the hijackings unfolded, minute by minute.  00:00 Introduction 01:19 Boarding the Flights 09:22 The Hijacking of American 11 16:42 The Hijacking of United 175 20:57 The Hijacking of American 77 26:03 The Battle for Flight 93 38:06 Aftermath  🎧 Check out the "Hit The Lights" Podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Google and everywhere else you get your podcasts!   🎧 Podcast Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6anlNMUERfwC7S0665z3wy Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-hit-the-lights-podcast/id1503579405 Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS84MTIwMzkucnNz  Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b9116ded-48d9-4f42-ab95-1a74d32c0c89/the-hit-the-lights-podcast   To submit any creepy personal stories or send in videos/photographs you may have caught over the years and can't explain, please email 👉 mystory@top5s.co.uk  Our other channels 👇  🦖 DinosaurDiscovery: DINOSAURS   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzNwK_O14PRYEm5LBiiOAgw   AccessAstronomy: SPACE & ASTRONOMY https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpbMdDya7ubh013QGe0JqHA/featured  🔎 ColdCaseDetective: TRUE CRIME https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdjslyNQupPSFxK_mSPcG-g?   WarsofTheWorld: MILITARY HISTORY https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB29sxIJ9PQIo0hCnIaOMbg  👽 DestinationDeclassified: ALIENS & UFOs https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfxuwHJ4cQHgf1ez7662_fQ  ⚔️ MedievalMadness: MEDIEVAL HISTORY https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWoMpx18YeSVuI7ObqEk8eg   Thanks for watching.   DISCLAIMER: All materials in these videos are used for entertainment purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement is intended. If you are, or represent the copyright owner of materials used in this video, and have an issue with the use of said material, PLEASE email us before putting in a claim and we can resolve the issue immediately. We can be reach on this email: info@top5s.co.uk  Copyright © 2026 Top5s All rights reserved.

Transcript

00:12On the morning of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, the weather across the eastern United

00:17States was mild and nearly clear. Millions of people were preparing for work, including

00:23those heading to the Twin Towers, the iconic structures of the World Trade Center in New

00:27York City, as well as others travelling to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

00:32In Sarasota, Florida, President George W. Bush began his day with an early morning run.

00:39For those travelling to the airport, the weather was ideal for a safe and pleasant journey.

00:45That morning gave no hint of the impending carnage and heartbreak that would soon occur, however

00:51among the travellers that day were 19 terrorists, intent on using the planes they boarded as

00:56guided missiles to inflict maximum devastation on the United States, and unfortunately,

01:03despite several opportunities to stop at least some of them, they accomplished their mission

01:07in the most devastating way possible. This documentary will examine how the hijackings unfolded, minute

01:15by minute.

01:20At 5.45am, CCTV footage from Portland International Jetport captured two well-dressed men on the

01:28secure side of the checkpoint. These men were Mohamed Atta and Abdelazi El Omari, carrying out

01:35the first part of their plan to hijack American Airlines Flight 11. When Atta checked in for his

01:41flight, he was flagged by a computerised pre-screening system known as CAPS. This system was designed

01:48to prevent a conventional, non-suicide bombing by ensuring a passenger could not check a bomb

01:53onto a plane. At that time, the only consequence of being selected by CAPS was that Atta's checked

02:00bags were kept off the plane until it was confirmed that he had boarded the aircraft. This did not in

02:06any way affect his deadly plans. At 6am, Atta and Al Omari boarded the flight from Portland to Boston's

02:14Logan International Airport. Atta and Omari arrived in Boston at 6.45am. Seven minutes later, Atta received

02:23a call from fellow terrorist, Marwan Al-Shahi, who was at a different terminal in Logan Airport, preparing

02:30to board and hijack United Airlines Flight 175. They spoke for three minutes, during which they likely

02:37confirmed that the attacks were ready to begin. Between 6.45am and 7.40am, Atta Al Omari and their

02:45fellow hijackers, Satam Al-Squami, Wayl Al-Shari and Walid Al-Shari checked in and boarded American

02:51Airlines Flight 11, which was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles. The flight was set to depart at 7.45am.

03:01At another terminal in the same airport, Marwan Al-Shahi checked in for United Airlines Flight

03:06175, which was scheduled to depart for Los Angeles at 8am. He was accompanied by Fayez, Ban Hamad,

03:15Mohand Al-Shari, Ahmed Al-Gamdi and Hamza Al-Gamdi. According to the United Ticket agent,

03:22some of Al-Shahi's companions seemed unfamiliar with the travel procedures and struggled to

03:27comprehend the standard security questions, prompting the agents to repeat the questions

03:32slowly until they provided the expected, reassuring answers. During the screening process,

03:39each of the hijackers went through a walkthrough metal detector that was set to detect items with

03:44metal content equivalent to that of a .22 caliber handgun. While Atta was selected for additional

03:51screening by CAPS in Portland, his hijacking team members, Squami, Wayl Al-Shari and Walid Al-Shari

03:58was selected in Boston. This only impacted their checked bags, not checkpoint screening.

04:04All five men cleared security and boarded American Airlines Flight 11. Atta, Omari and Squami were

04:12seated in business class 8D, 8G and 10B, while the Shari brothers sat in first class,

04:19Wayl in 2A and Walid in 2B. They boarded the flight between 7.31 and 7.40 am, with the

04:26aircraft

04:27pushing back from the gate at 7.40 am. Meanwhile, Shahi and his team, none of whom had been selected

04:34by

04:34CAPS, boarded United Airlines Flight 175 between 7.23 and 7.28 am.

04:42Bani Hamad sat in 2A, Shahi in 6C, Hamza Al-Ghamdi in 9C and Ahmed Al-Ghamdi in 9D.

04:52Their aircraft pushed back from the gate just before 8 am.

04:58Hundreds of miles away at Washington Dool's International Airport, located in the Virginia

05:02suburbs of Washington DC, five more terrorists were preparing to board their flight. At 7.15 am,

05:10two of them, Khalid Al-Mindhar and Majid Mokhet, checked in at the American Airlines ticket counter

05:16for Flight 77, which was headed for Los Angeles. Within the next 20 minutes, they were joined by

05:23Hani Hanjo and two brothers, Nawaf Al-Hazmi and Salam Al-Hazmi. Hani Hanjo, Khalid Al-Mindhar and

05:32Majid Mokhet were flagged by the CAPS system. The Hazmi brothers also underwent additional scrutiny

05:38from the airline's customer service representative at the check-in counter. This was due to one of the

05:43brothers lacking photo identification and their difficulty understanding English, which led the

05:49agent to find both passengers suspicious. As a result of this selection, their checked bags were

05:55held back from the plane until it was confirmed that they had boarded the aircraft. All five hijackers

06:01passed through the West security screening checkpoint at the main terminal. This checkpoint was equipped

06:06with CCTV and recorded all passengers, including the hijackers, during the screening process.

06:13At 7.18am, Mindhar and Mokhet entered the security checkpoint. They placed their carry-on bags on

06:20the conveyor belt of the X-ray machine and proceeded through the first metal detector. Both triggered the

06:26alarm and were then directed to a second metal detector. Mindhar did not set off the alarm this time

06:32and was allowed to pass through the checkpoint. After Mokhet activated the alarm again, a security screener

06:38used a handheld metal detector on him, and he successfully passed this inspection.

06:43About 20 minutes later, at 7.35am, Hany Hanjaw placed two carry-on bags on the X-ray belt at

06:50the

06:50West checkpoint at the main terminal. He then proceeded without any alarm through the metal detector.

06:56Shortly after, Nawaf and Salem Al-Hazmi entered the same checkpoint. Salem cleared the metal detector and was

07:04allowed to pass through. Nawaf triggered the alarms on both the first and second metal detectors,

07:11and was subsequently hand wandered before being permitted to proceed. Additionally,

07:16his over-the-shoulder carry-on bag was screened by an explosive trace detector and passed.

07:21Video footage later indicated that he was carrying an unidentified item clipped to the rim of his back

07:26pocket. The screener should have resolved the cause of the alarm, but in the cases of both Mokhet and

07:32Hazmi, it was evident that he failed to do so. At 7.50am, Mokhet and Mindhar boarded the flight and

07:40took

07:40their seats, specifically 12A and 12B. Shortly after, Hany Hanjaw, assigned to seat 1B in first class,

07:47followed them. The Hazmi brothers, seated in 5E and 5F, then joined Hanjaw in the first class cabin.

07:55At Newark International Airport in New Jersey between 7.03 and 7.39, Saeed Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed Al-Nami,

08:03Ahmed Al-Haznawi and Ziad Jara checked in at the United Airlines ticket counter for a flight to San

08:10Francisco. Two of them checked bags, or the other two did not. Ahmed Al-Haznawi was selected by CAPS,

08:18and his checked bag was screened for explosives before being loaded onto the plane.

08:23The four men passed through a security checkpoint similar to the checkpoints in Boston. This location

08:29did not have CCTV, meaning there is no recorded evidence of when the hijackers went through.

08:35They boarded United Airlines flight 93 between 7.39 and 7.48am. All of them were seated in the first

08:42class cabin, as the plane did not have a business class section. Jara was in seat 1B, closest to the

08:50cockpit. While Nami occupied seat 3C, Ghamdi was in 3D, and Haznawi was in 6B.

08:57The 19 men were now aboard four transcontinental flights. They aimed to hijack the planes and

09:03transform them into large guided missiles, each loaded up with 1,400 gallons of jet fuel.

09:09By 8am, they had successfully bypassed all the security measures implemented by America's Civil

09:15Aviation Security System to prevent hijacking.

09:24American Airlines Flight 11 provided non-stop service from Boston to Los Angeles. Captain John

09:30Oganowski and First Officer Thomas McGuinness flew the Boeing 767 with nine flight attendants and 81

09:37passengers, including the five terrorists. The plane took off at 7.59am and climbed to 26,000 feet by

09:458.14, still below its assigned cruising altitude of 29,000 feet. All communications were normal, and the

09:53fastened seatbelt sign would typically have been turned off, allowing flight attendants to prepare for

09:58cabin service. At 8.14am, American Airlines Flight 11 communicated its last route message to ground

10:06control, acknowledging instructions from the FAA in Boston. 16 seconds later, air traffic control

10:13instructed the pilots to climb to 35,000 feet, but this and all further communications went unanswered.

10:21It's unclear how the hijackers gained access to the cockpit,

10:24as FAA regulations require that the doors remain closed and locked during the flight.

10:30It has been speculated that they may have jammed their way in or stabbed the flight attendants to

10:35obtain a cockpit key. At the same time or shortly thereafter, Muhammad Atta, the only hijacker on

10:41board trained to fly a jet, would have moved from his business class seat to the cockpit, possibly

10:46accompanied by al-Omari. As this was happening, passenger Daniel Lewin, who was seated in the road just

10:53behind Atta and Omari, was stabbed by one of the hijackers, likely Satam al-Skwami, who was seated

10:59directly behind him. Lewin spoke Arabic and had served four years as an officer in the Israeli military,

11:06and he may have attempted to confront the hijackers in front of him, not realising that another was

11:11seated behind him. The hijackers quickly took control of the plane and sprayed mace, pepper spray,

11:18or another irritant in the first-class cabin to force the passengers and flight attendants towards

11:23the rear of the aircraft, claiming they had a bomb. About five minutes into the hijacking,

11:30flight attendant Betty Ong used an air phone to contact the American Airlines Southeastern

11:34Reservations office in Cary, North Carolina, to report an emergency. This was one of the several

11:41instances on September 11th, when flight attendants acted beyond their training, which typically limited

11:47communication to the cockpit during hijackings. Ong's emergency call lasted approximately 25 minutes,

11:54during which she calmly provided information about the situation on board.

11:58At 8.19, Ong reported,

12:01The cockpit is not answering. Someone has been stabbed in business class, and I think there's mace. We can't

12:07breathe. I don't know. I think we're being hijacked. She also mentioned that two flight attendants had been

12:13stopped.

12:21Okay, our number one got stabbed. Our person is stabbed. Nobody knows who's stabbed who, and we can't even get

12:29up to

12:30business class right now because nobody can breathe. Our number one is stabbed right now.

12:37Okay. And our number five, our first class passengers, our first class

12:42gallery flight attendant, and our pursers and staff. And we can't get up to the cockpit. The door won't open.

12:54Hello?

12:55Yeah, I'm taking down all the information, and we're also, you know, of course, recording this.

13:02Is anybody still there?

13:03Yes, we're still here.

13:05Okay. I'm staying on the line as well.

13:07Okay.

13:08At 8.21, Nadia Gonzalez, an American Airlines employee in North Carolina,

13:13alerted Craig Marquez, the duty manager in Fort Worth, Texas, about an emergency call from Ong.

13:20Craig directed the flight dispatcher to contact the cockpit. By 8.23, the dispatcher tried to make

13:27contact but was unsuccessful. Six minutes later, an air traffic control specialist reached out to the

13:33FAA's Boston Air Traffic Control Center, which was already aware of the situation. Boston Center was aware of the issue,

13:41partly because just before 8.25, the hijackers attempted to communicate with the passengers.

13:47The microphone was activated, and Mohammed Atta announced the following message.

14:16At 8.25, and again at 8.28, flight attendant Amy Sweeney was able to

14:22contact the American Flight Services office in Boston. During her first call, she managed to

14:28inform them that someone was hurt on the flight, but the call was cut off. Three minutes later,

14:34she was reconnected with the office and began providing updates to the manager, Michael Woodward.

14:40At 8.26, Ong reported that the plane was flying erratically. One minute later, flight 11 turned south,

14:48and American Airlines began receiving identifications of the hijackers, as Ong and Sweeney relayed some of

14:54the seat numbers of those who had gained unauthorized access to the cockpit.

15:00Sweeney calmly reported that the plane had been hijacked. She stated that a man in the first class

15:05cabin had his throat slashed, and two flight attendants had been stabbed. One was seriously injured and needed

15:11oxygen, while the other sustained minor wounds. A doctor was requested, and the flight attendants were

15:18unable to contact the cockpit. Additionally, she mentioned that there was a bomb in the cockpit.

15:24At 8.38, Ong informed Gonzáez that the plane was flying erratically once again.

15:30Around the same time, Sweeney told Woodward that the hijackers were of Middle Eastern descent,

15:35and provided the seat numbers of three of them. One of the hijackers spoke very little English,

15:41while another was fluent. The hijackers had somehow gained access to the cockpit,

15:46and the aircraft was in a rapid descent. Her call was not recorded.

15:52At 8.44am, Gonzáez reported lost phone contact with Ong. Around the same time, Sweeney communicated to

16:00Woodward, saying, Something is wrong. We are in a rapid descent. We are all over the place.

16:07Woodward asked Sweeney to look out of the window to see if she could identify their location.

16:12Sweeney replied, We are flying low. We are flying very, very low. We are flying way too low.

16:19Moments later, she exclaimed, Oh my god, we are way too low. And the phone call ended.

16:25At 8.46 and 40 seconds, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade

16:31Center. Everyone on board, along with an unknown number of people in the tower, were killed instantly.

16:43United Airlines Flight 175 was scheduled to depart for Los Angeles at 8am,

16:48with Captain Victor Sarancini and First Officer Michael Horrocks at the controls.

16:54The Boeing 767 had seven flight attendants and 56 passengers on board. They pushed back from the

17:00gate at 7.58am and took off for Logan Airport at 8.14am. By 8.33, the flight had reached

17:08its cruising

17:08altitude of 31,000 feet and cabin service had likely begun. The flight took off just as American Airlines

17:16Flight 11 was being hijacked, and at 8.42, the crew of United Flight 175 completed their report

17:23about a suspicious transmission they had overheard from another plane, which was later identified as

17:28Flight 11. This was the last communication United Flight 175 had with the ground.

17:36The hijackers attacked between 8.42 and 8.46am using knives and mace, while also threatening a bomb,

17:43as reported by passengers and a flight attendant. They stabbed members of the flight crew, resulting

17:49in the deaths of both pilots. Eyewitness calls from the rear of the plane indicate that some passengers

17:55and crew may have been moved there. The similarities in tactics between the hijackings of American Airlines

18:01Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 suggest that similar methods were used on both flights.

18:09The first indication that something was wrong with United Flight 175 occurred at 8.47am, when the

18:16aircraft changed its beacon codes twice within a minute. Then at 8.51, the flight deviated from its

18:23assigned altitude. This prompted New York air traffic controllers to attempt to contact the aircraft

18:28repeatedly, but their efforts were unsuccessful. At 8.52 in eastern Connecticut, a man named Lee Hanson

18:36received a phone call from his son Peter, who was a passenger on United Flight 175. Peter informed

18:43him, I think they've taken over the cockpit. An attendant has been stabbed, and someone up front may have

18:49been killed. The plane is making strange maneuvers. Please call United Airlines and let them know it's

18:54Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles. At the same time, a male flight attendant contacted a United

19:02Airlines office in San Francisco and spoke with Mark Policastro. The flight attendant reported that the

19:09flight had been hijacked, both pilots had been killed, a flight attendant had been stabbed, and the

19:15hijackers were likely in control of the plane. The call lasted about two minutes, after which Mark and a

19:21colleague tried unsuccessfully to reach the flight. At 8.58am, the flight adjusted its heading toward New York City.

19:29At the same time, Brian David Sweeney, a passenger on Flight 175, attempted to call his wife Julie.

19:36He left a message on their home answering machine, stating that the plane had been hijacked. He then

19:42called his mother Louise to inform her about the hijacking. During the call, he mentioned that the

19:48passengers were considering storming the cockpit to regain control of the plane from the hijackers.

19:54At 9am, Lee Hansen received a second call from his son Peter.

20:00It's getting bad, Dad. A stewardess was stabbed. They seem to have knives and mace.

20:06They said they have a bomb. It's getting very bad on the plane. Passengers are throwing up and

20:11getting sick. The plane is making jerking movements. I don't think the pilot is flying the plane. I think

20:17we are going down. I think they intend to go to Chicago or some place and fly into a building.

20:23Don't worry, Dad. If it happens, it'll be very fast. My God. My God.

20:29The call ended abruptly, and Hansen heard a woman scream just before the line cut off.

20:34They had the television on, and in that moment, they both witnessed the second aircraft strike the

20:39World Trade Center. At 9.03 in 11 seconds, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the south tower at the

20:47World Trade Center. Everyone on board, along with an unknown number of people in the tower, were killed instantly.

20:58American Airlines Flight 77 was scheduled to depart Washington Duels International Airport

21:03to Los Angeles at 8.10am. The aircraft was a Boeing 757 piloted by Captain Charles F. Burlingame and First

21:11Officer David Chalboa with four flight attendants on board, alongside 58 passengers. The aircraft pushed

21:19back from its gate at 8.09am and took off at 8.20. At 8.46, the flight reached its

21:27assigned cruising altitude

21:28of 35,000 feet, and cabin service was expected to have begun. At 8.51, American Airlines Flight 77

21:36transmitted its last routine radio communication. The hijacking began between 8.51 and 8.54.

21:43Similar to American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, the hijackers used knives,

21:50as reported by a passenger, and moved all the passengers and possibly crew to the rear of the aircraft.

21:57Unlike the earlier flights, the Flight 77 hijackers were reported by a passenger to have used box

22:02cutters. Additionally, a passenger reported that an announcement was made by the pilot,

22:09stating that the plane had been hijacked. Neither of these first-hand accounts mentioned any stabbings

22:14or threats involving a bomb or mace, although both witnesses began their flight in the first-class cabin.

22:22At 8.54, the aircraft deviated from its assigned flight path, turning south. Two minutes later,

22:29the transponder was switched off, resulting in the loss of primary radar contact with the aircraft.

22:35The Indianapolis Air Traffic Control Center made multiple attempts to reach the aircraft,

22:40but was unsuccessful. Similarly, American Airlines dispatchers also tried to establish communication,

22:46but could not connect. At 9am, Gerald Arpy, the executive vice president of American Airlines,

22:53learned that communication had been lost with American Flight 77. This was the second American

22:59Airlines aircraft reported in trouble. He ordered all American Airlines flights in the northeast that

23:05had not yet taken off to remain on the ground. Shortly before 9.10, suspecting that American Flight 77

23:12had been hijacked, the American Airlines headquarters concluded that this was the second aircraft that

23:17might collide with the World Trade Center. After discovering that United Airlines was also a missing

23:22plane, American Airlines headquarters decided to extend the ground stop nationwide. At 9.12,

23:30Renée May called her mother, Nancy May, in Las Vegas. She informed her that their flight was being

23:35hijacked by six individuals who had moved all the passengers to the rear of the plane. Renée asked her

23:41mother to alert American Airlines, which Nancy and her husband promptly did.

23:46Between 9.16 and 9.26, Barbara Olsen called her husband Ted, who is the Solicitor General of the

23:53United States. She informed him that the flight had been hijacked, and that the hijackers were armed

23:58with knives and box cutters. Barbara mentioned that the hijackers were unaware of her phone call,

24:04and that all the passengers had been moved to the back of the plane. About a minute into their

24:08conversation, the call was abruptly disconnected. Shortly after, Barbara contacted her husband again.

24:15She informed him that the pilot had announced that the flight had been hijacked, and asked what

24:20she should tell the captain to do. Ted Olsen asked for her location, and she responded that the aircraft

24:26was flying over residential areas. Another passenger mentioned that they were heading northeast. Ted then

24:33informed Barbara about the two previous hijackings and crashes. Throughout the conversation, she remained

24:39calm and showed no sign of panic or awareness of an impending crash. At that point, the second call

24:44was cut off. At 9.29, the autopilot on American Airlines Flight 77 was disengaged, while the aircraft

24:52was flying at an altitude of 7,000 feet and approximately 38 miles west of the Pentagon. Three minutes later,

25:00at 9.32, controllers at the Duals Terminal Radar Approach Control observed a primary radar target

25:06moving eastward at a high speed, which was later identified as Flight 77. At 9.34, Ronald Reagan

25:14Washington National Airport alerted the Secret Service about an unidentified aircraft heading towards

25:20the White House. At that moment, Flight 77 was located five miles west, southwest of the Pentagon,

25:26and began making a 330-degree turn. By the end of the turn, the aircraft was descending through 2,200

25:34feet, approaching both the Pentagon and downtown Washington. The hijacker pilot then increased the

25:40throttles to maximum power and dove toward the Pentagon. At 9.37 and 46 seconds, American Airlines Flight 77

25:49crashed into the Pentagon while traveling at approximately 530 miles per hour. Tragically, everyone on board the

25:55flight and many civilians and military personnel in the building lost their lives.

26:04At 8.42 AM, United Airlines Flight 93 took off from Newark Liberty International Airport,

26:10heading to San Francisco. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Jason Dow and First Officer Leroy Homer,

26:17along with five flight attendants on board. A total of 37 passengers, including the hijackers,

26:24were on the plane. The Boeing 757 was originally scheduled to depart the gate at 8 AM, however its

26:31takeoff was delayed due to the airport's typical heavy morning traffic. The hijackers initially planned

26:38to take flights that were scheduled to depart at 7.45, American Airlines Flight 11, ATM United Airlines Flight

26:45175 and United Flight 93, and 8.10 American Airlines Flight 77. Three of these flights actually took off

26:54within 10 to 15 minutes of their planned departure times. United Flight 93 should have taken off about

27:0015 minutes after leaving the gate, but it didn't get off the ground until 8.42, making it more than

27:0525

27:06minutes late. As United 93 departed from Newark, the flight crews were unaware of the hijacking of

27:13American Airlines Flight 11. However, the crisis managers at the FAA were, but did not act quickly

27:19enough to warn other aircraft in the air. United Airlines' first decisive action to alert its airborne

27:25aircraft to take defensive measures did not occur until 9.19 AM, when a United Flight Dispatcher,

27:32Ed Ballinger, took the initiative to send warnings to his 16 transcontinental flights.

27:38Beware of any cockpit intrusion, two aircraft have hit the World Trade Center.

27:43One of the flights that received this warning was United Flight 93. However, due to Ballinger's

27:48responsibilities for his other flights and for Flight 175, the warning message was not transmitted to

27:54Flight 93 until 9.23 AM. According to all reports, the first 46 minutes of Flight 93's cross-country

28:03journey were uneventful. Communications from the plane were normal, and its heading, speed,

28:08and altitude were consistent with their flight plan. At 9.24, Ballinger's warning to United 93 was

28:15received in the cockpit. Within two minutes at 9.26, the pilot, Jason Dow, replied with a note of

28:21confusion. Ed, please confirm your latest message, Jason. At 9.28, the hijackers initiated their attack.

28:31While flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet over eastern Ohio, Flight 93 unexpectedly dropped 700 feet.

28:39Eleven seconds into the descent, the FAA's Air Traffic Control Center in Cleveland received

28:44the first of two radio transmissions from the aircraft. In the first transmission, either the

28:50captain or the first officer could be heard declaring a mayday amidst the sounds of a physical

28:55struggle in the cockpit. The second radio transmission, which occurred 35 seconds later,

29:00indicated that the struggle was still ongoing. The captain or first officer shouted,

29:05Hey, get out of here.

29:20The voice is widely believed to be that of first officer Leroy Homer.

29:26On that morning, United Flight 93 had only 37 passengers on board, which included 33 passengers

29:32in addition to the four hijackers. This was below the average number of passengers for

29:37Tuesday mornings during the summer of 2001. However, there is no evidence to suggest that

29:42the hijackers manipulated passenger levels or purchased additional seats to assist in their plan.

29:48The terrorists who hijacked the three other commercial flights that day operated in five-man teams

29:53and took control of the cockpits within 30 minutes of takeoff.

29:57In contrast, the takeover of Flight 93 occurred 46 minutes after takeoff, and there were only four

30:03hijackers involved. The fifth operative, Muhammad Al Qatani, likely intended to join the team for his

30:10flight, but was denied entry by a suspicious immigration inspector at Orlando International

30:15Airport in Florida in August.

30:18Several passengers on United Flight 93 reported seeing three hijackers on the plane instead of four.

30:24This has raised speculation about whether one of the hijackers might have been able to use the

30:28cockpit jump seat from the very beginning of the flight. According to FAA rules, this seat can be

30:34occupied by documented and approved individuals, typically air carriers or FAA personnel. However,

30:41there is no evidence to suggest that one of the hijackers or anyone else occupied that seat on this flight.

30:47All the hijackers had assigned seats in first class and appeared to have used them.

30:51It is more likely that Ziad Jarrah, the key pilot-trained member of the hijacking team,

30:56remained seated and inconspicuous until after the cockpit was seized. Once inside the cockpit,

31:02he would not have been visible to the passengers.

31:05At 9.32, a hijacker, likely Ziad Jarrah,

31:09made or attempted to make the following announcement to the passengers of Flight 93.

31:15Ladies and gentlemen, here is the captain. Please sit down and remain seated. We have a bomb on board,

31:20so sit. The flight data recorder, which was recovered later, indicated that the hijacker

31:26then set the plane's autopilot to turn the aircraft around and head east.

31:32Additionally, data from the cockpit voice recorder revealed that a woman, most likely a flight attendant,

31:38was being held captive in the cockpit. She struggled with one of the hijackers,

31:42who ultimately killed or silenced her. Shortly afterward, the passengers and flight crew began

31:47making a series of calls using GTE air phones and cell phones. These calls continued until the end of the

31:54flight, allowing them to connect with family, friends and colleagues on the ground. They provided them

31:59with first-hand accounts and crucial information, and also learned the shocking news that two aircraft

32:04had crashed into the World Trade Center. At 9.39, the FAA's Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center

32:13overheard a second announcement that there was a bomb on board, indicating the plane was returning

32:18to the airport and that passengers should remain seated. While it seemed that the passengers

32:24did not hear the announcement, it appeared to be intended to deceive them, much like the

32:28announcements made on flight 11 and 77. It's possible that the hijacker, Zihad Jara, inadvertently

32:35broadcast this message to ATC because he was unfamiliar with how to operate the radio and intercom.

32:41It's believed that none of the hijackers had ever flown a commercial airliner before.

32:46At least two callers from the flight reported that the hijackers were aware passengers were making

32:50phone calls, but did not seem concerned. It's quite possible that Zihad Jara was informed of the

32:55success of the attack on the World Trade Center. He could have received this information through

33:00messages sent by United Airlines to the cockpits of its transcontinental flights, including Flight 93,

33:07warning about cockpit intrusions and informing them of the attacks in New York.

33:14Even without these messages, Jara likely understood that the attacks on the World Trade Center had

33:19already occurred, especially given Flight 93's delayed departure from Newark. If Jara did know

33:25that the passengers were making calls, he must have realised that they would inevitably learn about the

33:30events in New York, ultimately undermining his attempts at deception about a bomb aboard.

33:37At least ten passengers and two crew members successfully communicated crucial information to their

33:42family, friends, and colleagues on the ground, all of whom understood that the plane had been hijacked.

33:47The passengers reported that the hijackers' brandished knives, were wearing red bandanas,

33:52and claimed to have a bomb, forcing the passengers to the back of the aircraft.

33:57They also reported that one passenger had been stabbed, and that two individuals, possibly the

34:02captain and first officer, were lying on the cabin floor, injured or possibly dead. One caller

34:07mentioned that a flight attendant had been killed. Another caller expressed concern that the hijackers

34:12might have a gun, however none of the other callers indicated seeing a firearm. During at least five

34:19phone calls made by passengers, they expressed their determination, along with the surviving crew

34:23members, to revolt against the hijackers. In one call, they even voted on whether to rush the

34:29terrorist in an attempt to regain control of the plane, and after reaching a consensus,

34:33they acted accordingly. At 9.57, the passenger assault began. Several passengers had ended their

34:40calls with loved ones, to join the uprising. One caller concluded her message with the words,

34:45everyone's running up to first class, I have to go, bye. The cockpit voice recorder captured the sounds of

34:52the passenger's assault, although the audio was partially obscured by the closed cockpit door.

34:57Some family members who later had the opportunity to listen to the recording reported hearing a

35:02distinct voice of a loved one amid the turmoil. While we are unable to identify the specific

35:08individuals whose voices were captured, it was evident from the recording that the assault was active

35:13and escalating with emotional and distressing exchanges taking place. In response to the situation,

35:20Jara immediately began to roll the airplane sharply to the left and right in an attempt to dislodge the

35:25passengers. At 9.58, 57 seconds, he instructed another hijacker in the cockpit to block the door.

35:34Despite his efforts to throw the passengers off balance, the assault from the passengers continued.

35:39At 9.59, 52, Jara changed his tactics by pitching the nose of the airplane up and down to disrupt

35:45the

35:46assault. The cockpit recorder captured loud thuds, crashes, shouts, and the sounds of breaking glass and plates.

35:54At 3 seconds past 10, Jara managed to stabilize the airplane.

35:595 seconds later, Jara can be heard asking,

36:02Is this it? Shall we finish it off? A hijacker responded, No, not yet. When they all come,

36:08we finish it off. The sounds of fighting continued outside the cockpit, and Jara again pitched the nose

36:14of the aircraft up and down. At 26 seconds past 10, a passenger in the background shouted,

36:21In the cockpit, if we don't, we'll die. 16 seconds later, another passenger yelled, Roll it.

36:27Jara then stopped the violent maneuvers around 1 minute past 10, and exclaimed, Allah is the greatest,

36:34Allah is the greatest. He then asked another hijacker in the cockpit, Is that it? I mean,

36:40shall we put it down? The other replied, Yes, put it in, and pull it down. As the passengers

36:46bravely intensified their efforts against the hijackers, one of the hijackers shouted,

36:51Pull it down, pull it down. Although the hijackers maintained control of the plane,

36:56it became clear that the passengers were on the verge of overpowering them.

37:01The airplane began to descend rapidly, and the control wheel was turned sharply to the right,

37:06causing the aircraft to roll onto its back. Amid the chaos of the passengers' counterattack,

37:11one hijacker yelled, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest.

37:17Ultimately, the aircraft crashed into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania,

37:21at a speed of 580 mph, upside down, approximately 20 minutes of flying time from Washington, D.C.

37:30Jara had planned to crash the airliner into prominent symbols of the American Republic,

37:34specifically targeting either the Capitol building or the White House. However, his intentions were

37:39thwarted by the quick thinking and courageous actions of the unarmed passengers on board.

37:45Recognising the gravity of the situation and the potential devastation that awaited their nation,

37:49the passengers united in their efforts to regain control of the aircraft,

37:54ultimately preventing the hijackers from achieving their sinister goals.

38:06In total, the attacks that day resulted in the deaths of 2977 people, with thousands more injured.

38:15The tragedy led to long-term health consequences, and caused at least $10 billion in damages to

38:20infrastructure and property. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in history,

38:25and the most fatal incident for firefighters and law enforcement personnel in the United States,

38:31claiming the lives of 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers.

38:37The crash involving Flight 11 and 175 are considered the deadliest aviation disasters in history.

38:45Additionally, the collision of Flight 77 with the Pentagon resulted in one of the highest numbers of

38:50fatalities on the ground from a plane crash. The destruction of the World Trade Center and the

38:55surrounding area had a substantial negative impact on the US economy, leading to global market shocks.

39:02In the aftermath of the attacks, numerous countries reinforced their anti-terrorism laws,

39:07and broadened the authority of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

39:13According to the Cost of War project, the total estimated death toll from the attacks,

39:18along with casualties from the resulting conflicts, exceeds 4.5 million.

39:252026 is a significant milestone, as it is 25 years since the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

39:33For those who experienced that day firsthand, or watched the heartbreaking events unfold on television,

39:38the impact of 9-11 is truly profound. It not only altered the course of history,

39:44but also left an enduring and indelible mark on the collective consciousness of our society.

39:52The emotions, stories, and memories associated with that day continue to resonate deeply,

39:57serving as a constant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.

40:04As we recognize this milestone, it is an opportunity to reflect on the lessons learned,

40:10honor the lives lost, and recognize the profound changes that have shaped our world over the past quarter century.

40:17We must never forget the tragic events of 9-11.

40:20That's why every September, we take our time to reflect on the haunting reality of that day,

40:26not out of morbid curiosity, but to honor the passengers aboard the planes who faced unimaginable terror,

40:33the dedicated workers in the Twin Towers and the Pentagon who did not make it home,

40:37and the courageous first responders who ran toward danger while others fled.

40:42Our thoughts truly go out to everyone affected by that terrible day.

9/11: How the Four Hijackings Unfolded, Minute by Minute | Documentary

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