A Devastating Attack With Hijacked U.S. Airliners

Television image of an airliner as it approaches the towers of the World Trade Center. The aircraft crashed into Tower 2 (obscured) moments later. Photo: © Reuters/Courtesy of NBC

Sept. 12, 2001 -- In Tuesday's devastating terrorist attack, four U.S. commercial jetliners were hijacked and crashed -- two at the World Trade Center, one at the Pentagon, and the fourth one near Shanksville, Pa., about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

American Airlines confirmed that it lost two planes, both of which were bound for Los Angeles.

One of them was American Flight 11 from Boston with 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. It was hijacked by suspects armed with knives and crashed into the World Trade Center, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters.

The other American Airlines plane was Flight 77, a Boeing 757 from Washington Dulles airport bound for Los Angeles with 58 passengers and six crew. The plane was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon.

United Airlines said the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania was Flight 93, a Boeing 757, which left Newark at 8:01 a.m. Eastern Time, headed for San Francisco with 38 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants. Press reports indicate that a man called 911 from the lavatory of that flight, saying the plane was being hijacked. Shortly thereafter, an explosion was heard, and the operator lost contact with the man.

Another United Airlines plane, Flight 175, en route from Boston to Los Angeles, was hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center. That aircraft carried 56 passengers, two pilots and seven flight attendants, the airline said.

All 266 people aboard the four hijacked airliners are believed dead.

Both airlines have set up toll-free numbers to assist the victims' families. For American Airlines, the number is 1-800-245-0999. United Airlines' number is 1-800-932-8555.