September 11th 2001 will always be considered the darkest day in American history. The events, colloquially termed 9/11, led to the deaths of almost 3,000 people.
So many stories of heroism have emanated from that day, but one that particularly stands out is that of Todd Beamer, and his fellow passengers on United Airlines Flight 93.
Their heroism led to dozens, if not hundreds, of deaths being prevented. These events underline how everyday Americans can be heroes.
Background
September 11th 2001 started out as any regular day in the United States. But what would unfurl was horrific.
United Airlines Flight 93 set off at 8:42am, bound for San Francisco, California. It set off from New Jersey’s Newark International Airport.
Around that time, America was encountering a nightmare. Two planes – hijacked by Islamic terrorists – crashed into the World Trade Centre, at 8:46am and 9:03am respectively.
The skyscrapers collapsed. Hundreds had already died upon impact, with several hundred more in the towers dying, while others on the ground perished too.
Meanwhile at 9:37am, another passenger aircraft – also hijacked by Islamic terrorists – crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.
Meanwhile, United Airlines Flight 93 was having its own issues. It turned out this was the fourth plane that had been hijacked, once again by Islamic terrorists.
The events of Flight 93
Flight 93 was carrying 37 passengers, and 7 crew members. While the aircraft had capacity for 182 passengers, fortunately there were much fewer on board.
Around 46 minutes into the flight, 4 hijackers took control of Flight 93. They did so by murdering one passenger and then storming the cockpit.
They entered at 9:28am. By this point, two aircraft had already been crashed. The other aircraft was within 10 minutes of striking its target.
Mayday calls were made, but they were in vain. The terrorists had control of the cockpit, with the passengers being ushered to the back of the plane.
Over the next few minutes, it appeared to be chaotic in the cockpit. Air traffic controllers could hear some announcements made by the Islamic terrorist hijackers.
Haunting phone calls were made by passengers to their family back on the ground – seemingly aware that they were minutes from their death. It would have been harrowing for all involved.
One passenger – Tom Burnett – was made aware by his wife that other aircraft had attacked the World Trade Centre. At this point, it became clear to Burnett and the others that the hijackers had every intention of crashing the plane.
The fightback
It was at this point that Todd Beamer took charge. Beamer had tried to call his wife earlier. He and his fellow passengers had been plotting a revolt, which they put into action.
Beamer recited the Psalm 23, with others joining in. Beamer then said to the others “are you ready? Okay, let’s roll”.
At 9:57am, about 30 minutes after the flight had been hijacked, a revolt took place. The passengers attempted to storm the cockpit.
The hijackers became aware, and swerved the airplane aggressively to try and stop the passengers. A brawl was ensuing, but the group couldn’t quite make it to the cockpit.
At 10:02am, five minutes after the revolt began, the Islamic terrorist hijackers realised they wouldn’t be able to complete their intended mission – which was to crash the plane into either the U.S. Capitol or the White House.
They took the coward’s way out by crashing the plane into an empty field in Stonycreek, Pennsylvania. They were around 20 minutes away from Washington DC. All of those on board died upon impact.
The heroism
The heroism of the passengers will never be forgotten. They are likely to have saved hundreds of lives from being taken.
They made the ultimate sacrifice by giving up their own lives so that others could stay alive.
The ultimate act of heroism though was that of Todd Beamer – who led the charge, likely knowing that either way he would not make it.
The horror they must have felt in their final moments is unimaginable. The only morsel of consolation is that their death would’ve been instantaneous – with the plane crashing at over 550 mph.
The Takeaway
Following the terrible 9 events of /11, so many stories came out, but Flight 93 will always be remembered.
The crash site, which features a memorial, is often visited by friends and family members of those who have passed away. Politicians have also visited the site often.
Vice President Mike Pence put it best when he said “without regard to personal safety, they rushed forward to save lives, I will always believe that I and many others in our nation’s capital were able to go home that day and hug our families because of the courage and sacrifice of the heroes of Flight 93”.
Beamer’s last recorded words – “let’s roll” – have become iconic, and continue to be used in the modern day.
The heroism of the passengers will never, ever be forgotten. They will forever be considered American heroes.
