September 11 attacks: Difference between revisions

At 7:59&nbsp;a.m., [[American Airlines Flight 11]] took off from [[Logan International Airport]] in [[Boston]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Glen |date=November 23, 2001 |title=Probe reconstructs horror, calculated attacks on planes |url=http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/planes_reconstruction.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202072139/http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/planes_reconstruction.htm |archive-date=December 2, 2012 |work=The Boston Globe}}</ref> Fifteen minutes into the flight, five hijackers armed with [[boxcutter]]s took over the plane, injuring at least three people (and possibly killing one)<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 23, 2004 |title=Excerpt: A travel day like any other until some passengers left their seats |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001986488_planes23.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119033249/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001986488_planes23.html |archive-date=November 19, 2011 |access-date=May 23, 2008 |work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 28, 2004 |title=Inside the failed Air Force scramble to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5315883/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918164352/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5315883/ |archive-date=September 18, 2009 |access-date=May 23, 2008 |work=[[MSNBC]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Woolley |first=Scott |date=April 23, 2007 |title=Video Prophet |url=https://www.forbes.com/home/technology/forbes/2007/0423/068.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216103647/http://www.forbes.com/home/technology/forbes/2007/0423/068.html |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |access-date=May 23, 2008 |work=Forbes}}</ref> before forcing their way into the cockpit. The terrorists also displayed an apparent explosive and sprayed [[Tear gas|mace]] into the cabin, to frighten the hostages into submission and further hinder resistance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sheehy |first=Gail |date=February 15, 2004 |title=Stewardess ID'd Hijackers Early, Transcripts Show burden |url=http://www.observer.com/node/48805 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207153421/http://www.observer.com/node/48805 |archive-date=December 7, 2007 |access-date=September 30, 2010 |work=New York Observer}}</ref> Back at Logan, [[United Airlines Flight 175]] took off at 8:14&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="We have some planes">{{Cite web |title=WE HAVE SOME PLANES |url=https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041205190225/https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch1.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2004 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States}}</ref> Hundreds of miles southwest at [[Dulles International Airport]], [[American Airlines Flight 77]] left the runway at 8:20&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="We have some planes" /> Flight 175's journey proceeded normally for 28 minutes until 8:42&nbsp;am, when a group of five hijacked the plane, murdering both pilots and stabbing several crew members before assuming control of the aircraft. These hijackers also used bomb threats to instilinstill fear into the passengers and crew,{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7–8}} also spraying "tear gas, pepper spray or another irritant" in the cabin to force passengers and flight attendants to the rear of the cabin.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 5, 2011 |title=September 11: From take-off to tragic loss |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/september-11-remembered/2011-09-06/september-11-timeline/2862086 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129075152/https://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/september-11-remembered/2011-09-06/september-11-timeline/2862086 |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |access-date=November 29, 2022 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> Concurrently, [[United Airlines Flight 93]] departed from [[Newark International Airport]] in [[New Jersey]];<ref name="We have some planes" /> originally scheduled to pull away from the gate at 8:00&nbsp;a.m., the plane was running 42 minutes late.

Nine minutes after Flight 93's hijacking, Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 19, 2002 |title=Flight Path Study – American Airlines Flight 77 |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824050511/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB196/doc02.pdf |archive-date=August 24, 2006 |access-date=June 27, 2011 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}}</ref> Because of the two delays,<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 9, 2021 |title=What was Flight 93's target on 9/11? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/09/flight-93-target-capitol/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110042815/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/09/flight-93-target-capitol/ |archive-date=January 10, 2023 |access-date=November 27, 2022 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> the passengers and crew of Flight 93 had time to learn of the previous attacks through phone calls to the ground, and, as a result, an uprising was hastily organized to take control of the aircraft at 9:57&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="WP93">{{Cite news |last=Snyder |first=David |date=April 19, 2002 |title=Families Hear Flight 93's Final Moments |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-351703.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602123513/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-351703.html |archive-date=June 2, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2013 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref> Within minutes, passengers had fought their way to the front of the cabin and began breaking down the cockpit door. Fearing their captives would gain the upper hand, the hijackers rolled the plane and pitched it into a nosedive,<ref name="Flight93Xscript">{{cite wikisource |title=Flight 93 Cockpit Transcript}}</ref><ref name="NPS Flight 93 Story">{{Cite web |title=The Flight 93 Story |url=http://www.nps.gov/flni/historyculture/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112214156/http://www.nps.gov/flni/historyculture/index.htm |archive-date=January 12, 2015 |access-date=September 21, 2011 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> crashing into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh, at 10:03&nbsp;a.m. The plane was about twenty minutes away from reaching D.C. at the time of the crash, and its target is believed to have been either the [[United States Capitol|Capitol Building]] or the [[White House]].<ref name="Chap7">{{Cite book |title=9/11 Commission Report |publisher=National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |year=2004 |chapter=The Attack Looms |access-date=September 1, 2011 |chapter-url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch7.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205050859/http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch7.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="WP93" />