The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States Page: 8
xviii, 567 p: ill., maps; 24 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT
the hijackers were probably flying the plane.The call lasted about two minutes,
after which Policastro and a colleague tried unsuccessfully to contact the
flight.46
At 8:58, the flight took a heading toward NewYork City.47
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 storm-
ing the cockpit to take control of the plane away from the hijackers.48
At 9:00, Lee Hanson received a second call from his son Peter:
It's getting bad, Dad-A stewardess was stabbed-They seem to have
knives and Mace-They said they have a bomb-It's getting very bad
on the plane-Passengers are throwing up and getting sick-The
plane is making jerky movements-I don't think the pilot is flying the
plane-I think we are going down-I think they intend to go to
Chicago or someplace and fly into a building-Don't worry, Dad-
If it happens, it'll be very fast-My God, my God.49
The call ended abruptly. Lee Hanson had heard a woman scream just before
it cut off. He turned on a television, and in her home so did Louise Sweeney.
Both then saw the second aircraft hit the World Trade Center.50
At 9:03:11, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World
Trade Center.51 All on board, along with an unknown number of people in
the tower, were killed instantly.
The Hijacking of American 77
American Airlines Flight 77 was scheduled to depart from Washington Dulles
for Los Angeles at 8:10. The aircraft was a Boeing 757 piloted by Captain
Charles E Burlingame and First Officer David Charlebois. There were four
flight attendants. On September 11, the flight carried 58 passengers.52
American 77 pushed back from its gate at 8:09 and took off at 8:20. At 8:46,
the flight reached its assigned cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. Cabin service
would have begun. At 8:51, American 77 transmitted its last routine radio com-
munication. The hijacking began between 8:51 and 8:54. As on American 11
and United 175, the hijackers used knives (reported by one passenger) and
moved all the passengers (and possibly crew) to the rear of the aircraft (reported
by one flight attendant and one passenger). Unlike the earlier flights, the Flight
77 hijackers were reported by a passenger to have box cutters. Finally, a pas-
senger reported that an announcement had been made by the "pilot" that the
plane had been hijacked. Neither of the firsthand accounts mentioned any stab-
bings or the threat or use of either a bomb or Mace, though both witnesses began
the flight in the first-class cabin.53
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Related Items
Other items on this site that are directly related to the current book.
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Website)
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission), an independent, bipartisan commission created by congressional legislation and the signature of President George W. Bush in late 2002, is chartered to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. The Commission is also mandated to provide recommendations designed to guard against future attacks.
Relationship to this item: (Is Part Of)
9-11 Commission Final Report Press Conference (Video)
Recording of a press conference held by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States to announce the release of the final report and discuss the findings of the commission.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, book, July 22, 2004; Washington, D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc123526/m1/27/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.