[Poohbah]

Terrorists didn't want to give the passengers the satisfaction of winning.

[Arkinsaw]

Terrorists didn't want to give the passengers the satisfaction of winning.

But if they crashed into field in Pennsylvania rather than into the White House as planned then the passengers did win.

The only way you can say that they did not win is if you think the passengers motivations were simply to save their own skins. Based on the phone conversations I don't believe that this was their primary motivation.