United Flight 93 was scheduled to depart at 8:00 am , but the Boeing 757 did not depart until 42 minutes later due to runway traffic delays . 4 minutes later , American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center 's North Tower . 17 minutes later , at 9:03 am , as United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower , United 93 was climbing to cruising altitude , heading west over New Jersey and into Pennsylvania . At 9:25 am , Flight 93 was above eastern Ohio , and its pilot radioed Cleveland controllers to inquire about an alert that had been flashed on his cockpit computer screen to " beware of cockpit intrusion . " Three minutes later , Cleveland controllers could hear screams over the cockpit 's open microphone . Moments later , the hijackers , led by the Lebanese Ziad Samir Jarrah , took over the plane 's controls , disengaged the autopilot , and told passengers , " Keep remaining sitting . We have a bomb on board . " Beamer and the other passengers were herded into the back of the plane . The curtain between first class and economy class had been drawn , at which point Beamer saw the pilot and co-pilot lying dead on the floor just outside the curtain , their throats having been cut , as a flight attendant informed him . Within six minutes , the plane changed course and was heading for Washington , D.C. . Several of the passengers made phone calls to loved ones , who informed them about the two planes that had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and the third into the Pentagon in Arlington County , Virginia . Beamer tried to place a credit card call through a phone located on the back of a plane seat , but was routed to a customer-service representative , who passed him on to GTE airphone supervisor Lisa Jefferson . With FBI agents listening in on their call , Beamer informed Jefferson that hijackers had taken over United 93 , that one passenger had been killed , and mentioned the dead pilots . He also stated that two of the hijackers had knives , and that one appeared to have a bomb strapped around his waist . When the hijackers veered the plane sharply south , Beamer exclaimed , " We 're going down ! We 're going down ! " Following this , the passengers and flight crew decided to act . According to accounts of cell phone conversations , Beamer , along with Mark Bingham , Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick , formed a plan to take the plane back from the hijackers . They were joined by other passengers , including Lou Nacke , Rich Guadagno , Alan Beaven , Honor Elizabeth Wainio , Linda Gronlund , and William Cashman , along with flight attendants Sandra Bradshaw and Cee Cee Ross-Lyles , in discussing their options and voting on a course of action , ultimately deciding to storm the cockpit and take over the plane . Beamer told Jefferson that the group was planning to " jump on " the hijackers and fly the plane into the ground before the hijackers ' plan could be followed through . Beamer recited the Lord 's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm with Jefferson , prompting others to join in . Beamer requested of Jefferson , " If I do n't make it , please call my family and let them know how much I love them . " After this , Jefferson heard muffled voices and Beamer clearly answering , " Are you ready ? Okay . Let 's roll . " These were Beamer 's last words to Jefferson
United Airlines Flight 175
United Airlines Flight 175
Todd Beamer