Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune
Courtesy of CBS News
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Context:
On September 11, 2001, the deadliest terrorist attack in American history occurred when Al-Qaeda members hijacked four airplanes. In the fourth hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 93, the crew and passengers fought against the terrorists, eventually crash-landing in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Although the intended target isn’t known, it’s thought that the hijackers were aiming for either the White House or the US Capitol. Had it not been for the heroic actions of those aboard Flight 93, more innocent lives would have been lost. |
At 10:03 AM, near Indian Lake and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, UA Flight 93 crashed into a field. Traveling at 563 miles per hour, the impact left a gigantic crater. All 44 people on board died
Kelly Leverknight, a witness of the crash, stated, “I heard the plane going over and I went out the front door and I saw the plane going down. It was headed toward the school, which panicked me, because all three of my kids were there. Then you heard the explosion and felt the blast and saw the fire and smoke."
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Courtesy of the FBI
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Courtesy of the FBI
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Eric Peterson, another witness, said, “It was low enough, I thought you could probably count the rivets. You could see more of the roof of the plane than you could the belly. It was on its side. There was a great explosion and you could see the flames. It was a massive, massive explosion. Flames and then smoke and then a massive, massive mushroom cloud.”
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