Remembering 9/11
[American Airlines Flight 11 / Boston, hit North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 / Boston, crashes into South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03. American Airlines Flight 77 / Dulles, hits Pentagon at 9:38.]
Between 7:03 and 7:39, Saeed al Ghamdi, Ahmed al Nami, Ahmad al Haznawi, and Ziad Jarrah checked in at the United Airlines ticket counter, Newark Airport, for Flight 93 going to San Francisco. Two checked bags; two did not. Haznawi was selected by CAPPS (Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System created to identify passengers who should be subject to special security measures). His checked bag was screened for explosives and then loaded on the plane.
The four men passed through the security checkpoint, owned by United Airlines and operated under contract by Argenbright Security. Like the checkpoints in Boston, it lacked closed-circuit television surveillance so there is no documentary evidence to indicate when the hijackers passed through the checkpoint, what alarms may have been triggered, or what security procedures were administered. The FAA interviewed the screeners later; none recalled anything unusual or suspicious.
The four men boarded the plane between 7:39 and 7:48. All four had seats in the first-class cabin; their plane had no business-class section. Jarrah was in seat 1B, closest to the cockpit; Nami was in 3C, Ghamdi in 3D, and Haznawi in 6B.
The 19 men were aboard four transcontinental flights. They were planning to hijack these planes and turn them into large guided missiles, loaded with up to 11,400 gallons of jet fuel. By 8:00 AM on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, they had defeated all the security layers that America’s civil aviation security system then had in place to prevent a hijacking.
At 8:42, United Airlines Flight 93 took off from Newark Liberty International Airport. The aircraft was piloted by Captain Jason Dahl and First Officer Leroy Homer, and there were five flight attendants. 37 passengers, including the hijackers, boarded the plane. Scheduled to depart the gate at 8:00, the Boeing 757’s takeoff was delayed because of the airport’s typically heavy morning traffic.
The hijackers had planned to take flights scheduled to depart at 7:45 (American 11), 8:00 (United 175 and United 93), and 8:10 (American 77). Three of the flights had actually taken off within 10 to 15 minutes of their planned departure times. United 93 would ordinarily have taken off about 15 minutes after pulling away from the gate. When it left the ground at 8:42, the flight was running more than 25 minutes late.
As United 93 left Newark, the flight’s crew members were unaware of the hijacking of American 11. Around 9:00, the FAA, American, and United were facing the staggering realization of apparent multiple hijackings. At 9:03, they would see another aircraft strike the World Trade Center. Crisis managers at the FAA and the airlines did not yet act to warn other aircraft. At the same time, Boston Center realized that a message transmitted just before 8:25 by the hijacker pilot of American 11 included the phrase, “We have some planes.”
No one at the FAA or the airlines that day had ever dealt with multiple hijackings. Such a plot had not been carried out anywhere in the world in more than 30 years, and never in the United States. As news of the hijackings filtered through the FAA and the airlines, it does not seem to have occurred to their leadership that they needed to alert other aircraft in the air that they too might be at risk.
United 175 was hijacked between 8:42 and 8:46, and awareness of that hijacking began to spread after 8:51. American 77 was hijacked between 8:51 and 8:54. By 9:00, FAA and airline officials began to comprehend that attackers were going after multiple aircraft. American Airlines’ nationwide ground stop between 9:05 and 9:10 was followed by a United Airlines ground stop. FAA controllers at Boston Center, which had tracked the first two hijackings, requested at 9:07 that Herndon Command Center “get messages to airborne aircraft to increase security for the cockpit.” There is no evidence that Herndon took such action. Boston Center immediately began speculating about other aircraft that might be in danger, leading them to worry about a transcontinental flight – Delta 1989 – that in fact was not hijacked. At 9:19, the FAA’s New England regional office called Herndon and asked that Cleveland Center advise Delta 1989 to use extra cockpit security.
Several FAA air traffic control officials told us it was the air carriers’ responsibility to notify their planes of security problems. One senior FAA air traffic control manager said that it was simply not the FAA’s place to order the airlines what to tell their pilots. We believe such statements do not reflect an adequate appreciation of the FAA’s responsibility for the safety and security of civil aviation.
The airlines bore responsibility, too. They were facing an escalating number of conflicting and, for the most part, erroneous reports about other flights, as well as a continuing lack of vital information from the FAA about the hijacked flights. We found no evidence, however, that American Airlines sent any cockpit warnings to its aircraft on 9/11. United’s first decisive action to notify its airborne aircraft to take defensive action did not come until 9:19, when a United flight dispatcher, Ed Ballinger, took the initiative to begin transmitting warnings to his 16 transcontinental flights: “Beware any cockpit intrusion – Two a/c (aircraft) hit World Trade Center.” One of the flights that received the warning was United 93. Because Ballinger was still responsible for his other flights as well as Flight 175, his warning message was not transmitted to Flight 93 until 9:23.
By all accounts, the first 46 minutes of Flight 93’s cross-country trip proceeded routinely. Radio communications from the plane were normal. Heading, speed, and altitude ran according to plan. At 9:24, Ballinger’s warning to United 93 was received in the cockpit. Within two minutes, at 9:26, the pilot, Jason Dahl, responded with a note of puzzlement: “Ed, confirm latest mssg plz – Jason.”
The hijackers attacked at 9:28. While travelling 35,000 feet above eastern Ohio, United 93 suddenly dropped 700 feet. Eleven seconds into the descent, the FAA’s air traffic control center in Cleveland received the first of two radio transmissions from the aircraft. During the first broadcast, the captain or first officer could be heard declaring “Mayday” amid the sounds of a physical struggle in the cockpit. The second radio transmission, 35 seconds later, indicated that the flight was continuing. The captain or first officer could be heard shouting: “Hey, get out of here – get out of here – get out of here.”
On the morning of 9/11, there were only 37 passengers on United 93 – 33 in addition to the 4 hijackers. This was below the norm for Tuesday mornings during the summer of 2001. But there is no evidence that the hijackers manipulated passenger levels or purchased additional seats to facilitate their operation.
The terrorists who hijacked three other commercial flights on 9/11 operated in five-man teams. They initiated their cockpit takeover within 30 minutes of takeoff. On Flight 93, however, the takeover took place 46 minutes after takeoff and there were only four hijackers. The operative likely intended to round out the team for this flight, Mohamed al Kahtani, had been refused entry by a suspicious immigration inspector at Florida’s Orlando International Airport in August.
Because several passengers on United 93 described three hijackers on the plane, not four, some have wondered whether one of the hijackers had been able to use the cockpit jump seat from the outset of the flight. FAA rules allow use of this seat by documented and approved individuals, usually air carrier or FAA personnel. We have found no evidence indicating that one of the hijackers, or anyone else, sat there on this flight. All the hijackers had assigned seats in first class, and they seem to have used them. We believe it is more likely that Jarrah, the crucial pilot-trained member of their team, remained seated and inconspicuous until after the cockpit was seized; and once inside, he would not have been visible to the passengers.
At 9:32, a hijacker, probably Jarrah, made or attempted to make the following announcement to the passengers of Flight 93: “Ladies and Gentlemen: Here the captain, please sit down keep remaining sitting. We have a bomb on board. So, sit.” The flight data recorder (also recovered) indicates that Jarrah then instructed the plane’s autopilot to turn the aircraft around and head east.
The cockpit voice recorder data indicate that a woman, most likely a flight attendant, was being held captive in the cockpit. She struggled with one of the hijackers who killed or otherwise silenced her.
Shortly thereafter, the passengers and flight crew began a series of calls from GTE airphones and cellular phones. These calls between family, friends, and colleagues took place until the end of the flight and provided those on the ground with firsthand accounts. They enabled the passengers to gain critical information, including the news that two aircraft had slammed into the World Trade Center.
At 9:39, the FAA’s Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center overheard a second announcement indicating that there was a bomb on board, that the plane was returning to the airport, and that they should remain seated. While it apparently was not heard by the passengers, this announcement, like those on Flight 11 and Flight 77, was intended to deceive them. Jarrah, like Atta earlier, may have inadvertently broadcast the message because he did not know how to operate the radio and the intercom. To our knowledge none of them had ever flown an actual airliner before.
At least two callers from the flight reported that the hijackers knew that passengers were making calls but did not seem to care. It is quite possible Jarrah knew of the success of the assault on the World Trade Center. He could have learned of this from messages being sent by United Airlines to the cockpits of its transcontinental flights, including Flight 93, warning of cockpit intrusion and telling of the New York attacks. But even without them, he would certainly have understood that the attacks on the World Trade Center would already have unfolded, given Flight 93’s tardy departure from Newark. If Jarrah did know that the passengers were making calls, it might not have occurred to him that they were certain to learn what had happened to New York, thereby defeating his attempts at deception.
At least ten passengers and two crew members shared vital information with family, friends, colleagues, or others on the ground. All understood the plane had been hijacked. They said the hijackers wielded knives and claimed to have a bomb. The hijackers were wearing red bandanas, and they forced the passengers to the back of the aircraft.
Callers reported that a passenger had been stabbed and that two people were lying on the floor of the cabin, injured or dead – possibly the captain and first officer. One caller reported that a flight attendant had been killed.
One of the callers from United 93 also reported that he thought the hijackers might possess a gun. But none of the other callers reported the presence of a firearm. One recipient of a call from the aircraft recounted specifically asking her whether the hijackers had guns. The passenger replied that he did not see one. No evidence of firearms or of their identifiable remains was found at the aircraft’s crash site, and the cockpit voice recorder gives no indication of a gun being fired or mentioned at any time. We believe that if the hijackers had possessed a gun, they would have used it in the flight’s last minutes as the passengers fought back.
Passengers on three flights reported the hijackers’ claim of having a bomb. The FBI told us they found no trace of explosives at the crash sites. One of the passengers who mentioned a bomb expressed his belief that it was not real. Lacking any evidence that the hijackers attempted to smuggle such illegal items past the security screening checkpoints, we believe the bombs were probably fake.
During at least five of the passengers’ phone calls, information was shared about the attacks that had occurred earlier that morning at the World Trade Center. Five calls described the intent of passengers and surviving crew members to revolt against the hijackers. According to one call, they voted on whether to rush the terrorists in an attempt to retake the plane. They decided, and acted.
At 9:57, the passenger assault began. Several passengers had terminated phone calls with loved ones in order to join the revolt. One of the callers ended her message as follows: “Everyone’s running up to first class. I’ve got to go. Bye.”
The cockpit voice recorder captured the sounds of the passenger assault muffled by the intervening cockpit door. Some family members who listened to the recording report that they can hear the voice of a loved one among the din. We cannot identify whose voices can be heard. But the assault was sustained.
In response, Jarrah immediately began to roll the airplane to the left and right, attempting to knock the passengers off balance. At 9:58:57, Jarrah told another hijacker in the cockpit to block the door. Jarrah continued to roll the airplane sharply left and right, but the assault continued. At 9:59:52, Jarrah changed tactics and pitched the nose of the airplane up and down to disrupt the assault. The recorder captured the sounds of loud thumps, crashes, shouts, and breaking glasses and plates. At 10:00:03, Jarrah stabilized the airplane.
Five seconds later, Jarrah asked, “Is that it? Shall we finish off?” A hijacker responded, “No. Not yet. When they all come, we finish it off.” The sounds of fighting continued outside the cockpit. Again, Jarrah pitched the nose of the aircraft up and down. At 10:00:26, a passenger in the background said, “In the cockpit. If we don’t we’ll die!” Sixteen seconds later, a passenger yelled, “Roll it!” Jarrah stopped the violent maneuvers at about 10:01:00 and said, “Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest!” He then asked another hijacker in the cockpit, “Is that it? I mean, shall we put it down?” to which the other replied, “Yes, put it in it, and pull it down.”
The passengers continued their assault and at 10:02:23, a hijacker said, “Pull it down! Pull it down!” The hijackers remained at the controls but must have judged that the passengers were only seconds from overcoming them. The airplane headed down; the control wheel was turned hard to the right. The airplane rolled onto its back, and one of the hijackers began shouting “Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest.” With the sounds of the passenger counterattack continuing, the aircraft plowed into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 580 miles per hour, about 20 minutes’ flying time from Washington, D.C.
Jarrah’s objective was to crash his airliner into symbols of the American Republic, the Capitol or the White House. He was defeated by the alerted, unarmed passengers of United 93.
While I have the opportunity, just a few tidbits in the world of sports and the arts before they get too old.
–There are few things worse in the world than Russian air safety and on Wednesday, there was another horrific plane crash, with this one taking the lives of at least 37 affiliated with the Lokomotiv ice hockey team, one of the top squads in professional hockey in that country and with a roster including many who have played in the NHL. Overall, at least 43 died as the plane went down in sunny weather immediately after takeoff from a city about 150 miles from Moscow.
—Stephen Strasburg’s debut Tuesday night following Tommy John surgery could not have gone better; a dominating 5 innings of two-hit ball, no runs, while striking out four (all swinging) and allowing no walks. Just what the doctor ordered in terms of bringing hope to Nationals’ fans for 2012, as well as aiding Strasburg’s offseason confidence in a big way. He hit 100 mph on the radar gun and threw a 90 mph changeup.
—Tuesday night was a rainy affair up and down the east coast and when you get into September, there are few days in which you can make up a rainout so the teams do everything to get each game in.
And so it came to pass that the Yankees-Orioles contest at Yankee Stadium didn’t get started until 11:08 p.m., a full four-hour rain delay. There were about 1,000 fans left when the first pitch was finally thrown and the game ended at 2:15 a.m., New York winning 5-3.
At least those who had a ticket to Tuesday’s game, even if they used it, will be entitled to a free game next season.
Money paid to players on the disabled list since 2009 (all figures in millions; through end of August)
New York Mets…$107.20
Detroit Tigers…$60.50
New York Yankees…$59.70
Philadelphia Phillies…$59.50
Boston Red Sox…$57.90
—Sept. 7, 1911…100 years ago, baseball witnessed a changing of the guard, a passing of the baton, you might say, as the Philadelphia Phillies’ 24-year-old rookie pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander outdueled the Boston Braves’ 44-year-old veteran Cy Young, 1-0, with Alexander tossing a one-hitter. The win was one of 28 for Alexander, setting a rookie record; while Young would go on to pitch just six more games that year, his final season. [Nicole Pappas / Baseball Hall of Fame]
—Roger Federer advanced to his 30th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal at the U.S. Open. Next longest in history is Jimmy Connors’ at 27. The next-longest active streak is Novak Djokovic’s 10. None of this year’s U.S. Open women’s quarterfinalists reached that stage at Wimbledon, ergo…Federer’s mark is rather impressive.
—AP College Football Poll after Week One…
1. Oklahoma
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Boise State
5. Florida State
6. Stanford
7. Texas A&M…Boo…Boooooo!!!!
8. Wisconsin
9. Oklahoma State
10. Nebraska
[Texas A&M has been accepted by the SEC, pending all the legal challenges that will now swamp the Aggies.]
—Gotta hand it to Maryland. Most folks thought their uniforms for the Miami football game on Monday night were incredibly hideous, with the two-tone helmet in particular, but it sure created a buzz about the school it wouldn’t have received otherwise.
The Terps had warmed up in different uniforms, but when they came out for the kickoff they were in the clashing yellow and black-red and white uniform and helmet, modeled after the state flag.
New head coach Randy Edsall said afterwards (the Terps having defeated the undermanned Hurricanes, 32-24):
“I was proud that we kept this under the lid. This is our pride uniform – Maryland pride. This is part of the new branding we’re doing here. We want to incorporate the state colors and let everyone know we are playing for everyone in the state.”
–Meanwhile, the television ratings for the opening weekend of college football were mixed. The Miami-Maryland contest drew 50% less than last year’s Boise State-Virginia Tech Monday night affair. Granted, last year’s contest pitted two top ten squads against one another.
But ESPN’s Boise State-Georgia game on Saturday drew 12% less than Oregon State-TCU in the same time slot last year.
LSU-Oregon on Saturday night did, however, draw 68% more than LSU-North Carolina in that slot last year.
It’s going to be interesting to see how ratings progress. You need marquee matchups, but I’m wondering if all the scandal talk has impacted the sport in a negative fashion. I know my attitude is a little different. It’s certainly more jaded.
–Congratulations to NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon, who in winning the rain-delayed Sprint Cup race in Atlanta on Tuesday, his third win of the year, held off Jimmie Johnson in the process. Gordon thus broke a tie with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to become the third-winningest driver in NASCAR history with his 85th victory. He now trails only Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105), the latter being my personal pick for perhaps the most underrated great sports figure of modern times. I mean if you’re sitting in a bar and ask the question, “Name the second best figure in the history of baseball, football, hockey, basketball, golf…,” you’d immediately get like ten names for each, including for No. 1. But how many really know David Pearson? [I’m conveniently ignoring that when it comes to NASCAR, five-time champion Jimmie Johnson could easily be ahead of both Petty and Pearson (and Dale Earnhardt), according to some benchmarks, but I digress…]
–The Jacksonville Jaguars cut starting QB David Garrard, who has had an up-and-down career, in a move that saves the franchise $9 million in 2011. Owner Wayne Weaver has told Coach Jack Del Rio that he needs to make the playoffs to stick around for a 10th season. But now the quarterback will be Luke McCown.
—Pippa Middleton turned 28 on Tuesday. As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald:
“Never has there been a rear-end obsession like that attached to Pippa, as a nation prepares to celebrate Ass Appreciation Day in honor of the royal relative’s rump.”
Pippa seems unfazed, thus far, by the non-stop paparazzi feeding frenzy.
—Eddie Murphy won out over Billy Crystal and Jerry Seinfeld to host the Academy Awards next Feb. 26. The guy is an incredible egotist and hasn’t been funny in 30 years.
