I think the passengers took action once they reached the threshold where they felt that death was inevitable if action wasn't taken.
I agree, they hesitated too long. - Partly due to a lack of weapons. -- A few knives might have made all the difference.
They had one chance to retake control and at the low altitude it was a slim chance-- but better to die taking your one chance than to die sitting in your seat.
The knowledge that they gained from the ground about the attacks on the WTC and Pentagon was the crucial factor that raised them from "9-10 thinking" and put them square on the front line of this War against Radical Islam, and God Bless them all for taking this action.
And its a pity they that even with that info, they took too long to act.
*September 10 thinking is when hijackers didn't turn planes into missiles, but used them to negotiate with hostages. It is also when we fail to take them seriously when they threaten us and to chalk their evil statements up to overheated rhetoric. The world is making some September 10 mistakes at present with Mr. I'm-on-a-jihad of Iran IMHO.
Mr. who? -- You lost me.
You try to remember the President of Iran's name- I can't. Either Steyn or COulter came up with Imonajihad and it works for me.
I give the passengers more credit for their action than you do-- having never been in anything remotely like this, I find it very hard to second guess. I'm just glad they got the chance to act before they slammed into the Capitol or WH. Do we know for sure that the terrorists in the front didn't have hostages for example?