September 11, 2001, KPIX CBS5 / Associated Press, Cell Phone Call Reveals Last Moments of SF-Bound Plane,
September 12, 2001, Associated Press / KPIX CBS5, United Airlines Flight 93: List of Victims,
September 12, 2001, CBS KPIX5, Pleasanton Company Mourns Loss of Leader, by Nola Woods,
September 12, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Search is On for Black Box in SF-Bound Plane, by Whitney Gould,
September 12, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Bay Area Passengers May Have Fought Hijackers, The PIXPage Staff,
September 12, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Two Bay Area Men Called Home from Flight 93, by Nola Woods,
September 12, 2001, KPIX CBS5 SF Passengers May Have Voted to Fight Back, by The PIXPage Staff,
September 13, 2001, KPIX CBS5, More Heroism Stories from Flight 93, by The PIXPage Staff,
September 13, 2001, KPIX CBS5, SCU Student one of Flight 93's Victims, by The PIXPage Staff,
September 13, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Pleasanton Company Mourns Loss of Leader, by Nola Woods,
September 13, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Husband of San Rafael Victim Speaks Out, by Jennifer Mack,
September 18, 2001, CBS KPIX5, More Heroism Stories from Flight 93, by The PIXPage Staff,
September 19, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Suspect in Terror Attack May Have Oakland Connection, by Sherry Hu,
October 10, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Bay Area Passengers May Have Fought Hijackers, by The PIXPage Staff,
October 11, 2001, KPIX CBS5 / Associated Press, United Airlines Flight 93: List of Victims,
October 11, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Hijacker Went to Bay Area School, by Sherry Hu,
September 11, 2001, KPIX CBS5 / Associated Press, United Jetliner Bound for SFO Crashes,
Two United Airlines jetliners crashed Tuesday morning, one in western Pennsylvania and the second at a location the airline did not immediately disclose. A total of 110 people were aboard the two planes, the airline said.
One plane, United Flight 93, crashed north of the Somerset County airport, a small airport about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. An emergency dispatcher in neighboring Westmoreland County received a cell phone call from a man who said he was a passenger locked in the bathroom on that flight, said dispatch supervisor Glenn Cramer.
The man repeatedly told officials the call was not a hoax.
"We are being hijacked, we are being hijacked!" Cramer quoted the man from a transcript of the call.
The Pennsylvania crash followed the crash of two planes into the World Trade Center in New York City. American Airlines initially said its planes crashed into the twin towers but later said that was unconfirmed.
"It shook the whole station," said Bruce Grine, owner of Grine's Service Center in Shanksville, about 2½ miles from the crash. "Everybody ran outside, and by that time the fire whistle was blowing."
United said that flight, a Boeing 757, left Newark, N.J., at 8:01 a.m., headed for San Francisco with 38 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants.
A second plane, United Flight 175, a Boeing 767, also crashed, the airline said, but it did not give a location. That plane left Boston at 7:58 a.m., bound for Los Angeles with 56 passengers, two pilots and seven flight attendants, the airline said.
United's pilots union said Flight 175 crashed into the Trade Center. But the airline had no immediate comment.
Because of the attacks in New York, the Federal Aviation Administration had ordered all departing flights canceled nationwide, and any planes already in the air were to land a the nearest airport. The Pennsylvania crash came after the order was issued.
According to Somerset County dispatchers, Flight 93 crashed about 10 a.m. about 8 miles east of Jennerstown, WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh reported.
Michael R. Merringer was out on a mountain bike ride with his wife, Amy, about two miles away from the crash site.
"I heard the engine gun two different times and then I heard a loud bang and the windows of the houses all around rattled," Merringer said. "I looked up and I saw the smoke coming up."
The couple rushed home and drove near the scene.
"Everything was on fire and there was trees knocked down and there was a big hole in the ground," he said.
Earlier Tuesday, terrorists crashed two planes into the World Trade Center and the twin 110-story towers collapsed. A plane also hit the Pentagon in Washington.
In Chicago, United CEO James Goodwin said the airline is working with authorities including the FBI. United said it was sending a team to Pennsylvania to assist in the investigation and to provide assistance to family members.
"Today's events are a tragedy and our prayers are with everyone at this time," Goodwin said.
At Boston's Logan Airport, Joseph Lawless, director of public safety for the Massachusetts Port Authority, said a family assistance center had been set up and families were arriving at the airport.
The three passenger terminals at Newark International Airport were evacuated. At 11:30 a.m., several hundred people were still clustered at the Terminal A baggage carousel, while shotgun-toting officers patrolled. Ticket counters were deserted.
September 11, 2001, KPIX CBS5 / Associated Press, Cell Phone Call Reveals Last Moments of SF-Bound Plane,
A passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 called on his cell phone from a locked bathroom and delivered a chilling message. "We are being hijacked, we are being hijacked!"
Minutes later the jetliner crashed in western Pennsylvania with 45 people aboard, the last of four closely timed terror attacks across the country.
Radar showed the San Francisco-bound Boeing 757 from Newark, N.J., had nearly reached Cleveland when it made a sharp left turn and headed back toward Pennsylvania, crashing in a grassy field edged by woods about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. There was no sign of any survivors.
"There's a crater gouged in the earth, the plane is pretty much disintegrated. There's nothing left but scorched trees," said Mark Stahl, of Somerset, who went to the scene.
The Boeing 757 crash was one of four reported Tuesday by United and American Airlines. Two jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and one hit the Pentagon in Washington.
United said Flight 93 left Newark at 8:01 a.m. with 38 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants.
Minutes before the 10 a.m. crash, an emergency dispatcher in Pennsylvania received a cell phone call from a man who said he was a passenger locked in a bathroom aboard United Flight 93. The man repeatedly said the call was not a hoax, said dispatch supervisor Glenn Cramer in neighboring Westmoreland County.
"We are being hijacked, we are being hijacked!" Cramer quoted the man from a transcript of the call.
The man told dispatchers the plane "was going down. He heard some sort of explosion and saw white smoke coming from the plane and we lost contact with him," Cramer said.
FBI agent Wells Morrison wouldn't confirm that the plane was hijacked, but said the FBI was reviewing the tape of the 911 call.
"At this point, we're not prepared to say it was an act of terrorism, though it appears to be that," Morrison said.
Reporters were taken to the top of a hill overlooking the scene. The crash left a V-shaped gouge in a grassy field surrounded by thick woods, just below a hilltop strip mine. The gouge is 8- to 10-feet deep and 15- to 20-feet long, said Capt. Frank Monaco of the Pennsylvania State Police.
Investigators believe the plane crashed there and disintegrated, sending debris into thick trees nearby, Monaco said.
"There's nothing in the ground you can see," Monaco said of the crash site. "It just looks like tiny pieces of debris.
Without citing a death toll, United said Tuesday afternoon that it had identified all passengers and crew members on board the two planes and was notifying family members. No names were released immediately.
At San Francisco International Airport, where the plane was headed, an evacuation was ordered. Bomb-sniffing dogs patrolled the hallways and a counseling center was set up for relatives of the people aboard Flight 93.
"This is a time for compassion. It's not a time for long sermons," said the Rev. John Delariva, a Catholic priest who is part of the airport's counseling team.
Flight 93 also operated as a code-share flight with Air Canada as Flight AC4085.
September 12, 2001, Associated Press / KPIX CBS5, United Airlines Flight 93: List of Victims
Here is a partial list of passengers and crew on United Flight 93, Newark N.J. to San Francisco, according to family members, friends, co-workers and local law enforcement. Flight 93 crashed in rural southwest Pennsylvania.
CREW:
- Jason Dahl, Colorado, captain
- Leroy Homer, Marlton, N.J., first officer
- Lorraine Bay, flight attendant
- Sandra Bradshaw, 38, Greensboro, N.C., flight attendant
- Wanda Green, flight attendant
- CeeCee Lyles, Fort Myers, Fla., flight attendant
- Deborah Welsh, flight attendant
PASSENGERS: [25 names]
- Christian Adams
- Todd Beamer
- Alan Beaven
- Mark Bingham, 31, San Francisco
- Deora Bodley
- Marion Britton
- Thomas E. Burnett Jr., 38, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Thoratec Corp.
- William Cashman
- Georgine Corrigan
- Joseph Deluca
- Patrick Driscoll
- Edward Felt
- Colleen Fraser
- Andrew Garcia
- Jeremy Glick
- Lauren Grandcolas, Marin County, Calif.
- Donald Greene
- Linda Gronlund
- Richard Guadagno
- Waleska Martinez
- Nicole Miller
- Mark Rothenberg
- Christine Snyder, 32, Kailua, Hawaii
- John Talignani
- Honor Wainio
» 09-12-2001
September 12, 2001, CBS KPIX5, Pleasanton Company Mourns Loss of Leader, by Nola Woods,
Many Bay Area residents know victims of at least one hijacked plane -- those on United Flight 93, bound for San Francisco.
It crashed in western Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board, including 38-year old Thomas Burnett.
Burnett was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Thoratec in Pleasanton.
Burnett was on his way back from his company's East Coast facilities when he found himself at the center of the terrorist attack. During the crisis, he called his wife four times, telling her to call 911 about what was happening aboard the flight.
Dina Burnett says the she knows her husband went down fighting.
"He would not sit there and watch this happen, allow it to happen," she said. "It was not in his nature to do so."
Burnett says her husband was a dedicated family man, and in that spirit, his fellow parishioners shared memories and prayers Tuesday night at Saint Isadore's Church in Danville.
September 12, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Search is On for Black Box in SF-Bound Plane, by Whitney Gould,
In Pennsylvania, investigators are searching for the black box from San Francisco-bound United Flight 93, which crashed just outside of Pittsburgh.
The search for evidence will be painstaking. Besides the black box, investigators are looking to recover aircraft parts, personal effects, and human remains. Investigators say the search could take between three to five weeks.
United says that 45 people died in Tuesday's crash.
September 12, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Bay Area Passengers May Have Fought Hijackers, The PIXPage Staff,
The FBI now believes that passengers aboard Bay Area-bound Flight 93 may have fought with their hijackers.
San Francisco resident Mark Bingham was able to reach his mother by cellular phone before the plane crashed outside of Pittsburgh. His mother told CBS's Early Show that she believes her son played a role in saving lives of people on the ground.
"He was calm. He was frightened. He was composed," Alice Hoglan said. "He was trying to convey a message, an urgent message, and not draw attention to himself."
Hoglan told the Early Show that even though he was quiet while talking to her, she thinks that her son took action.
"He was sitting forward in the aircraft … I know from past experience with him, that he will try to act in a situation that is an emergency situation. He'll do something," she said. "You note that Flight 93 was the only flight that did not make it to some target destination. I'm hoping … passengers did have a role in that, and that Mark was able to take an active roll in stopping these people from killing people on the ground."
September 12, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Two Bay Area Men Called Home from Flight 93, by Nola Woods,
Bay Area residents are awaiting word on the names of victims, including those aboard United Flight 93, which was headed to San Francisco.
Flight 93 crashed in a field 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At least two of the passengers were from the Bay Area, and used their cell phones to make contact with their families before the plane went down.
31-year-old Mark Bingham was a San Francisco businessman with business interests in the Bay Area and New York. When he found himself in the middle of a hijacking, he called his mother.
"I hope it was quick," said Alice Hoglan, Mark's mother. "I hope he took an active part in thwarting the hijackers…I think that his last thoughts were of trying to help and save the people on the ground."
38-year-old Tom Burnette was a San Ramon businessman, who was Vice President of a medical device company based in Pleasanton. Tuesday night, Burnette's fellow parishioners at Saint Isador's Church prayed for him and the other victims. Father Frank Polichico related the final phone call Burnette made to his wife.
"He was using his cell phone, and he was talking to her," he said. "He said that somebody was already dead, that they had stabbed somebody, and that they were all going to die."
Overcome by emotion, Polichico described how the call ended. "He says I love you and that was the end of the conversation. That's all there was to it. And that was the last time we heard from Tom."
Burnette leaves behind his wife and three daughters.
September 12, 2001, KPIX CBS5 SF Passengers May Have Voted to Fight Back, by The PIXPage Staff,
There's a report that the passengers on the doomed plane bound for San Francisco voted to attack the hijackers.
CNN is reporting that a passenger on United Flight 93 called his mother-in-law by cell phone to relate some chilling details just moments before the plane crashed in Pennsylvania.
Jeremy Glick reportedly said that all 38 passengers, and possibly the crew, were herded to the back of the plane during the hijacking. There, Glick said the group voted to attack the men who were taking over the plane.
Glick's mother-in-law said the phone then went dead.
That report is backed up by the mother of San Francisco resident Mark Bingham. He reached Alice Hoglan by cellular phone before the plane crashed. Hoglan told CBS's Early Show that she believes her son played a role in saving lives of people on the ground.
"He was calm. He was frightened. He was composed," Hoglan said. "He was trying to convey a message, an urgent message, and not draw attention to himself."
Hoglan told the Early Show that even though he was quiet while talking to her, she thinks that her son took action.
"He was sitting forward in the aircraft … I know from past experience with him, that he will try to act in a situation that is an emergency situation. He'll do something," she said. "You note that Flight 93 was the only flight that did not make it to some target destination. I'm hoping … passengers did have a role in that, and that Mark was able to take an active roll in stopping these people from killing people on the ground."
September 13, 2001, KPIX CBS5, More Heroism Stories from Flight 93, by The PIXPage Staff,
Stories of heroism continue to emerge from the final moments of United Flight 93, the jet bound for San Francisco that crashed in western Pennsylvania.
Tom Burnett, the Vice President of an East Bay high tech company, was a passenger on Flight 93. His wife, Deena Burnett, calls him a leader, a problem solver, the father of three little children and the husband she always dreamed of. In fact, Burnett says her husband was determined to save Flight 93 and wrestle it away from three hijackers.
They had three conversations from his cell phone and their home in San Ramon. He described how the pilot had been killed by three Middle-Eastern men wearing red headbands.
Deena says that Tom asked a lot of questions about the World Trade Center attacks. She then overheard conversations between Tom and his fellow passengers, as they talked about overtaking the hijackers.
"Once I told him about the World Trade Center, I'm sure that he put it together quickly that this was related and realized this could be a suicide mission," Burnett said.
FBI special agent Andy Black concurs. He told a local newspaper, "In all likelihood, any actions taken by the passengers may very well have averted the loss of more lives."
It's believed that Flight 93 may have been headed for a Washington D.C. landmark, possibly the White House.
Deena Burnett said that during one of the last phone conversations she had with her husband, she told him she loved him. But he wasn't saying any goodbyes, she said. Instead, she's convinced that Tom thought he was coming home.
[When did the semester start at Santa Clara U.?]
September 13, 2001, KPIX CBS5, SCU Student one of Flight 93's Victims, by The PIXPage Staff,
A 20-year-old Santa Clara University student was one of the people killed in the crash of United Flight 93.
The plane went down Tuesday, as part of the massive terrorist attack that struck America.
Deora Bodley is being mourned at the university, but also at Saint Clare Elementary School in Santa Clara. That's one of the places where she volunteered to help children learn to read.
"She was a person who developed a relationship with everybody that she met," said Kathy Almazol, Principal of St. Clare's. "She always had time to ask you how you were, and how you felt. And of course that's why she's successful with children, because she could relate to them."
Two memorial services are scheduled in Santa Clara next week.
September 13, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Pleasanton Company Mourns Loss of Leader, by Nola Woods,
Many Bay Area residents know victims of at least one hijacked plane -- those on United Flight 93, bound for San Francisco.
It crashed in western Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board, including 38-year old Thomas Burnett. Burnett was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Thoratec in Pleasanton.
Burnett was on his way back from his company's East Coast facilities when he found himself at the center of the terrorist attack. During the crisis, he called his wife four times, telling her to call 911 about what was happening aboard the flight.
Dina Burnett says the she knows her husband went down fighting.
"He would not sit there and watch this happen, allow it to happen," she said. "It was not in his nature to do so."
Burnett says her husband was a dedicated family man, and in that spirit, his fellow parishioners shared memories and prayers Tuesday night at Saint Isadore's Church in Danville.
September 13, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Husband of San Rafael Victim Speaks Out, by Jennifer Mack
The husband of a San Rafael woman killed in the terrorist attacks spoke publicly for the first time Thursday.
Jack Grandcolas' wife Lauren was aboard United Flight 93 when it crashed into rural Pennsylvania. He says she called him just before the plane crashed, to tell him she loved him. But despite his grief, Grandcolas had a message for the people behind his wife's death.
"These criminal acts of savagery which have taken our loved ones will only help to strengthen the bonds of families across America, and America as a country," Grandcolas said.
Grandcolas was a sales worker at Good Housekeeping magazine.
September 18, 2001, CBS KPIX5, More Heroism Stories from Flight 93, by The PIXPage Staff,
Stories of heroism continue to emerge from the final moments of United Flight 93, the jet bound for San Francisco that crashed in western Pennsylvania.
Tom Burnett, the Vice President of an East Bay high tech company, was a passenger on Flight 93. His wife, Deena Burnett, calls him a leader, a problem solver, the father of three little children and the husband she always dreamed of. In fact, Burnett says her husband was determined to save Flight 93 and wrestle it away from three hijackers.
They had three conversations from his cell phone and their home in San Ramon. He described how the pilot had been killed by three Middle-Eastern men wearing red headbands.
Deena says that Tom asked a lot of questions about the World Trade Center attacks. She then overheard conversations between Tom and his fellow passengers, as they talked about overtaking the hijackers.
"Once I told him about the World Trade Center, I'm sure that he put it together quickly that this was related and realized this could be a suicide mission," Burnett said.
FBI special agent Andy Black concurs. He told a local newspaper, "In all likelihood, any actions taken by the passengers may very well have averted the loss of more lives."
It's believed that Flight 93 may have been headed for a Washington D.C. landmark, possibly the White House.
Deena Burnett said that during one of the last phone conversations she had with her husband, she told him she loved him. But he wasn't saying any goodbyes, she said. Instead, she's convinced that Tom thought he was coming home.
September 19, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Suspect in Terror Attack May Have Oakland Connection, by Sherry Hu,
One of the suspected terrorists has a Bay Area connection.
The FBI says Hani Hanjour was on American Airlines Flight 77, which hit the Pentagon. In November, Hanjour apparently had applied for a course to polish his English skills at ELS Language Center in Oakland, located on the campus of Holy Names College. ELS confirms that FBI agents questioned staff members and examined papers at their offices earlier this week.
However, the school says that even though Hanjour applied to start classes, he failed to show up for registration. The school had even arranged for Hanjour to stay with a host family, but that family never heard from him.
Why Hanjour chose ELS is a question that may never be answered, as it's presumed he died on Flight 77. In fact, it's not clear if the suspected terrorist ever set foot in Oakland or the Bay Area. The FAA says Hanjour received a commercial pilot's license in 1999, and listed a post office box in Saudi Arabia as his address. He reportedly may have lived in San Diego and Phoenix, as well.
The FBI requests that anyone with any information about Hanjour or the other suspected terrorists call them on the FBI hotline. The number is 1-866-483-5137.
October 10, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Bay Area Passengers May Have Fought Hijackers, by The PIXPage Staff,
The FBI now believes that passengers aboard Bay Area-bound Flight 93 may have fought with their hijackers.
San Francisco resident Mark Bingham was able to reach his mother by cellular phone before the plane crashed outside of Pittsburgh. His mother told CBS's Early Show that she believes her son played a role in saving lives of people on the ground.
"He was calm. He was frightened. He was composed," Alice Hoglan said. "He was trying to convey a message, an urgent message, and not draw attention to himself."
Hoglan told the Early Show that even though he was quiet while talking to her, she thinks that her son took action.
"He was sitting forward in the aircraft … I know from past experience with him, that he will try to act in a situation that is an emergency situation. He'll do something," she said. "You note that Flight 93 was the only flight that did not make it to some target destination. I'm hoping … passengers did have a role in that, and that Mark was able to take an active roll in stopping these people from killing people on the ground."
October 11, 2001, KPIX CBS5 / Associated Press, United Airlines Flight 93: List of Victims
Here is a partial list of passengers and crew on United Flight 93, Newark N.J. to San Francisco, according to family members, friends, co-workers and local law enforcement. Flight 93 crashed in rural southwest Pennsylvania.
CREW:
- Jason Dahl, Colorado, captain
- Leroy Homer, Marlton, N.J., first officer
- Lorraine Bay, flight attendant
- Sandra Bradshaw, 38, Greensboro, N.C., flight attendant
- Wanda Green, flight attendant
- CeeCee Lyles, Fort Myers, Fla., flight attendant
- Deborah Welsh, flight attendant
PASSENGERS: [still only 25 names]
- Christian Adams
- Todd Beamer
- Alan Beaven
- Mark Bingham, 31, San Francisco
- Deora Bodley
- Marion Britton
- Thomas E. Burnett Jr., 38, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Thoratec Corp.
- William Cashman
- Georgine Corrigan
- Joseph Deluca
- Patrick Driscoll
- Edward Felt
- Colleen Fraser
- Andrew Garcia
- Jeremy Glick
- Lauren Grandcolas, Marin County, Calif.
- Donald Greene
- Linda Gronlund
- Richard Guadagno
- Waleska Martinez
- Nicole Miller
- Mark Rothenberg
- Christine Snyder, 32, Kailua, Hawaii
- John Talignani
- Honor Wainio
October 11, 2001, KPIX CBS5, Hijacker Went to Bay Area School, by Sherry Hu,
It appears that one of the suicide hijackers was in the Bay Area longer than the authorities first thought.
For more than four months, from the end of April to September of 1996, accused hijacker Hani Hanjour lived as a student in Oakland. The FBI confirms that the Bay Area was probably Hanjour's first stop in the United States.
Hanjour may have piloted American Airlines Flight 77, which slammed into the Pentagon on September 11.
Learning the language was apparently one of Hanjour's early missions. He attended English classes at the ELS Language Center, which rents space on the campus of Holy Names College in Oakland. ELS says it turned over Hanjour's student file to the FBI only last week. ELS had said that Hanjour never showed up for classes, but after reviewing databases, found Hanjour's records by using a different spelling.
Along with polishing his English skills, Hanjour had other interests. In September of 1996, Hanjour paid the $150 dollar application fee to enroll at the Sierra Academy in Oakland, an aeronautics school specializing in airline training.
Sierra Academy Vice President Dan Schafer said Hanjour was interested in becoming a pilot. But after a half-hour at an orientation class, Hanjour disappeared. Schafer said that the rigorous and expensive year-long program may have scared him off. But, Schafer speculates, "He went somewhere else, and got what he needed."
The FBI has yet to connect any of Hanjour's accomplices to the Bay Area, and says there's no indication attacks on the Bay Area were being planned. But California Senator Dianne Feinstein told a newspaper this week that terrorist cells exist in the Bay Area.
"This has been long-standing knowledge on my part, going way, way back to the days when I was mayor," Feinstein told Channel 5. However, she declined to give any more specifics.
Since the assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the FBI has set up an emergency operations center in San Francisco. More than 300 agents are chasing 2000 leads, in the hopes of preventing a potential terrorist attack in the Bay Area.
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