Heroes of Flight 93 remembered for their courage 25 years on from 9/11
On Sept. 11, 2001, the passengers and crew bravely decided to storm the cockpit of United Airlines Flight 93, preventing the terrorists who had taken control of the plane from flying it to Washington, D.C.
Every year, over 300,000 visitors make the trek to the Flight 93 National Memorial in rural Pennsylvania to honor the 40 individuals who perished on September 11, 2001. Gordon Felt, whose brother Edward died on United Airlines Flight 93, attended a National Park Service ceremony held at the memorial to pay tribute to the victims.
Felt recounted how, on the first day of coverage after the crash, he stood in the field where the plane plummeted, attempting to decipher the mystery of its descent. He drew a line from Cleveland, Ohio, to Shanksville, following the plane's altered course, which led him to envision the plane reaching the U.S. Capitol. This gut feeling, a combination of distress and righteous indignation, turned out to be accurate.
The passengers and crew of Flight 93 chose to confront the cockpit terrorists, thwarting their plan to reach Washington, D.C., and likely the Capitol. This courageous act was instrumental in preserving the nation's symbol of democracy. Paul Pisano, who was present in the Capitol building that fateful day, expressed his profound gratitude to the heroes of Flight 93.
He emphasized that, had the passengers not acted, America's response to the 9/11 attacks would have remained unknown.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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