Investigation Summary
Flight 93 was scheduled to depart at 08:00 EDT but did not take off until 08:42 EDT. While the aircraft pushed back from the gate only one minute late at 08:01, heavy morning airport congestion resulted in a 41-minute taxi and ground delay. This delay proved critical as it allowed passengers to learn about the attacks on the World Trade Center via GTE Airfones and mobile phones. The hijacking commenced at 09:28 EDT, 46 minutes after takeoff. The hijackers, led by Ziad Jarrah, incapacitated the pilots and turned the aircraft toward Washington, D.C. Between 09:30 and 10:03, passengers and crew attempted 37 phone calls (35 via Airfone and two via mobile), with 12 individuals successfully connecting to provide and receive information. Realizing their flight was part of a suicide mission and led by Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett, and Jeremy Glick, the passengers voted to revolt. At 09:57, the counter-attack began. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captured the sounds of the struggle, including the hijackers using violent maneuvers to throw the passengers off balance. As the passengers breached the cockpit door, Jarrah rolled the plane inverted and dove into the ground at 563 mph to ensure the mission ended before the aircraft could be retaken.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the hijackers' intended target was likely the U.S. Capitol Building or the White House. The crash was the direct result of the hijackers' decision to down the plane during a passenger uprising. The actions of the passengers and crew are credited with preventing further loss of life on the ground in the nation's capital. All 44 people on board, including the 4 hijackers, were killed instantly upon impact.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
ACARS
The Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System used by dispatchers to send the 'cockpit intrusion' warning to the crew.
GTE Airfone
Seat-back radiotelephones used by passengers to contact family and learn about the other attacks.
CVR
The Cockpit Voice Recorder, found buried 25 feet below the crater, which captured the final 30 minutes of the struggle.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft hit the ground at a 40-degree nose-down angle while inverted.
- 02The FBI reported that 14 knives and parts of knives, including a box cutter and a knife concealed in a cigarette lighter, were recovered at the crash site.
- 03The impact crater was approximately 15 feet deep and 30 feet wide.
- 04Flight 93 was the only one of the four hijacked aircraft on 9/11 not to reach its intended target.
- 05The load factor was only 20 percent, with 33 passengers and 4 hijackers (37 total passengers) on a 182-seat aircraft.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Reinforced Cockpit Doors
Following the 9/11 attacks, the FAA mandated the installation of hardened, bulletproof cockpit doors on all commercial aircraft to prevent unauthorized access.
TSA Establishment
The Aviation and Transportation Security Act was passed, creating the Transportation Security Administration to oversee all airport security screening.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
The Shoot-down Theory
Reference ↗Early speculation suggested the U.S. military might have shot down the aircraft. The 9/11 Commission and FBI evidence, including the CVR and FDR, confirmed the crash resulted from the struggle on board and hijacker actions.