Passengers voted to attack hijackers

CNN ^ | September 12, 2001 Posted: 10:56 PM EDT (0256 GMT) | CNN

[patent]

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Passengers on board the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in rural Pennsylvania Tuesday apparently decided to attack the terrorists who had commandeered the plane, according to family members of one passenger.

Passenger Jeremy Glick, flying with his 2-month-old child Emerson, called his wife Liz and in-laws in New York on a cell phone to say the plane had been hijacked.

[Dick Bachert]

``To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods,
``And for the tender mother
Who dandled him to rest,
And for the wife who nurses
His baby at her breast,
And for the holy maidens
Who feed the eternal flame,
To save them from false Sextus
That wrought the deed of shame?
``Haul down the bridge, Sir Consul,
With all the speed ye may;
I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.
In yon strait path a thousand
May well be stopped by three.
Now who will stand on either hand,
And keep the bridge with me?''

“Horatius” by Thomas Babbington Macaulay

(Search out the entire poem. It will bring tears to your eyes in much the same way the heroic actions of those men in that doomed plane over Pennsylvania brought tears to mine. May God rest their souls!)

[brat]

God bless America. Maybe all is not lost when a group of men still have the courage to do what they apparently did! May God bless their loved ones!

[TheDon]

Let the CTs begin! Oh well, even FDR is accused of having preknowledge of the attack on PH.

[Chief Inspector Clouseau]

Remember these passengers knew what was afoot in a way passengers in the other planes did not. Who would have imagined the plan until there were exemplars?

I have been trying to tell people this. On the first two planes, it is most logical to assume that the pilots and flight crew urged calm and compliance with the terrorists. The hypothetical "pilot's handbook" would state that most passengers and crew survive a hijacking as long as they comply with the terrorists' demands.

Others have alluded to game theory...IMHO, game theory on the first two flights would have dictated compliance with the terrorists' demands. The 3rd flight (Pentagon) I am uncertain. By the 4th flight, the intent was known and the equation was dramatically changed. But the passengers needed CONFIRMATION of the likely intent before they stormed the terrorists and guaranteed the mid-air deaths of all aboard.

I truly believe that heroes would have emerged on the first two flights if anyone had AN INKLING of the disaster that was planned. Sadly, it was a very well-planned terror attack...which is why our response must be equally well-planned and MUCH MORE devastating....

[WFTR]

People ask when we will start to fight back. We have Already Started.

WFTR
Bill

[patent]

I truly believe that heroes would have emerged on the first two flights if anyone had AN INKLING of the disaster that was planned. Sadly, it was a very well-planned terror attack...which is why our response must be equally well-planned and MUCH MORE devastating....

I agree. I have to head off. Good night all.

patent  +AMDG

[Fred Mertz]

Apparently, I must be mistaken. I still have my doubts and opinions about this version of events.

But, I'm surely wrong.

[Travis McGee]

The passengers on the second plane to hit the WTC knew what was going to happen, because they took a big curving approach. They would be able to see the first burning smoking tower clear as day out one side of the jet on approach from miles and miles out.

Also, flying at 500+ knots wheels up 900 feet above Manhatten would not be mistaken for a trip to Havana.

[patent]

I still have my doubts and opinions about this version of events.

While I may disagree, that is reasonable. It is still very early.

patent

[abner]

You CT types are so predictable

I've never been one of those either. Now, heres a conspiracy, 4 planes hijacked and two of them crashed into the WTC, one into the Pentagon, and the other crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Never happen.

I don't wish to argue with anyone here, not now. I'm just saying we shouldn't start to follow the media blindly now either.

[isthisnickcool]

These chicken $shit SOB's killed many children! Vengance!

As far as some people that are comfortable with "second guessing" others that have lost their lives? I'd say "I guess you had to be there". Be thankful you were not.

[patent]

True, but they also wouldn't have a great deal of time, at 500+, on a plane banking and turning, to react.

patent

[ET(end tyranny)]

There were so many interviews and clips yesterday and today, but I'll try. I do remember she said that when it hit, there were a couple 'explosions' loud noises...she said it was gone in seconds. If I remember correctly she said when she first realized that it was flying too low and was going to crash she tried to call 911 or someone.

They didn't stay with her very long, and went on to say that they had hopes of getting the box from this crash and hoping that the terrorists didn't flip the circuit? to it. Disable it anyway. Which might be why info on that crash is classified at this point. I don't know.

[aruanan]

I hope the story of the AF splashing this flight disappears, don't you?

I'm sure the reason it even got started is because people assumed that 1. passengers are too docil to take matters into their own hands and 2. a terrorist flight that crashed short of its target could only have done so because the military shot it down. Note that no one who saw it before it crashed said they saw military aircraft pursuing it and firing on it.

[abner]

Dick Armey said on Tuesday afternoon on LIVE TELEVISION that the events surrounding the outcome of the crash in PA were CLASSIFIED.

This would maybe be one reason to think that maybe we aren't getting the entire story.

I choose to believe that the people on the flight are heroes.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The Airline Pilots Union negotiated an agreement with the airlines some years ago, that the black box could be erased, but only on the ground.

[Fred Mertz]

They have kept that crash site very close hold, haven't they?

[patent]

Are the other crashes not classified? It seems they would be, to some extent, given that its a national security thing. Have any of you heard either way on the other three crashes?

[habs4ever]

Wanna bet? I do game theory a lot in my work, so yes, I would have figured it out:)

I also would have been shitting my pants the whole time, too.

[libertarian_usa]

"I choose to believe that the people on the flight are heroes. "

I think that both occurred. The people fought back and the Air Force was about to act, but didn't have to.