SHANKSVILLE, Pa. — Family members and community leaders gathered Friday at the Flight 93 National Memorial to remember the 40 passengers and crew who died when their plane crashed into a rural field 25 years ago, their fight against hijackers preventing an attack on the Capitol.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered the keynote address at an afternoon ceremony, part of a day of dual observances that began with officials reading the names of the dead at the Wall of Names as the Bells of Remembrance rang.
On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda hijackers seized four commercial airliners. Nearly 3,000 people died in the coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and Flight 93.
United Airlines Flight 93, bound for San Francisco from Newark, was hijacked with orders to strike the Capitol. Passengers and crew learned of the other attacks through phone calls and made a collective decision to resist. The struggle caused the plane to crash near Shanksville instead of reaching its intended target.
"Their actions successfully thwarted the planned attack on the Capitol," memorial officials said.
Memorials across the country held observances Friday, with ceremonies at attack sites in New York and Washington.
