"Flight 93" - Comments by Commercial Pilot Who Flew on 9/11

Via E mail | 06/05/06 | vanity

[P-40]

Other things to show just how odd that day was...

At 8:59, Flight 175 passenger Brian David Sweeney tried to call his wife, Julie. He left a message on their home answering machine that the plane had been hijacked. He then called his mother, Louise Sweeney, told her the flight had been hijacked, and added that the passengers were thinking about storming the cockpit to take control of the plane away from the hijackers.48

At 8:41, Sweeney told Woodward that passengers in coach were under the impression that there was a routine medical emergency in first class. Other flight attendants were busy at duties such as getting medical supplies while Ong and Sweeney were reporting the events.36

At 8:46:40,American 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in NewYork City.

[G.Mason]

Great post! Very revealing.

Thanks.

[RightWingMama]

bttt

[TChris]

Wow. Thank you for your perspective on both the movie and the events of 9/11.

I have not forgotten, nor will I. And I hope to see United 93 within the next few days.

[ilgipper]

Just saw it this weekend. What a great production. The Director did an excellent job. It was a terrific account of that day, espcially the scenes from the ground. The level of confusion from FAA, the military, and the media was portrayed so well, and that is the point that so many have forgotten. This was unprecidented in every sense of the work. From the fact that is was the first hijacking in 20 some years in the US, to the chaos as they tried to sort out which planes were hikjacked, and where they were headed.


A great reminder of the historical events of the day.

[MEG33]

Blurry screen..Thank you.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Gene, thanks so for your post.

You truly give voice to the Spirit of America.

[eureka!]

marking

[FormerACLUmember]

The power of the astonishing United 93 was in its ability to make you see that there was absolutely no difference between yourself personally and any passenger on the hijacked death plane. The audience at the show I went to was sobbing by the end.

[Names Ash Housewares]

I just wish the people that need to see it would.
Every fool who bought a ticket to that Michael Mooreon mind rot should have a reality check with this film. But it would probably take being on the flight to reach those fools for them to understand.

[genefromjersey]

I'm just passing along an email from a correspondent.

Our thanks belong to him !

[the OlLine Rebel]

This sucks. It's been off the screen here in MD central for at least a week. I was wanting to finally see it, fittingly, Memorial Day - but shocked to see it nowhere in the region.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Even the pilots of UAL Flt 93 are given a data link message that the Towers have been hit and to beware of cockpit intruders...they brush it off in disbelief...as I'm sure any pilot would have prior to that date.

Ouch. Reminds me of the alarm Pearl Harbor sent out on December 7, 1941:

AIR RAID, PEARL HARBOR. THIS IS NO DRILL.

[Christian4Bush]

bump

[Tammy8]

What happened on 9/11 was confusing, because no one believed something like that could ever happen in the US.

I was working at a US/Mexico Port of Entry that day; there was much confusion there too about what to do. The big issue was whether to close the border or not. Everyone understood that we were under attack, it was just such a bizarre attack that no one knew immediately how to react. I must say, issues were sorted out within minutes and though people were still confused- they had received orders of what steps to take from up the food chain and got busy taking those steps.

My oldest daughter was away at college and she called me right away and asked me if we were at war. I told her yes without even thinking about it. She then asked me who we were at war with- I told her I didn't know yet, but President Bush would tell us when he spoke to the nation. I don't know why I thought officials would know who did such a cowardly attack so soon after; but somehow I felt those in charge knew who attacked us and that we would immediately go to war.

I remember being physically ill that day, and mad at whoever attacked us in such a way. The next day I felt great sadness for those who were wounded and families who had lost loved ones. I felt only illness and anger that day though for some odd reason.

[thirst4truth]

My brother was in the air from Thailand, heading to the US, Seattle I think. Seattle would not take the hand off from Thailand, but Memphis, where Fed Ex is headquarted said, "just go anyway." Well my brother made the call to turn back, against the instructions of his superiors at Fed Ex. He is so glad he did, he would have had to land in Canada, and stay for a week if he had not turned around.

[Jackknife]

PING!

[meema]

bttt

[reagan_fanatic]

The lack of planes in the sky that day was beyond creepy. I still remember sitting out on my back porch and seeing a clear blue sky, completely void of the contrails usually seen streaming across the sky.

The only aircraft I did see was one small group of planes crossing the sky very quickly, very high in the air. I later learned it was Air Force One and its fighter escorts.