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CNN Live Event/Special

New Information Revealed on Flight 93 Crash

Aired August 08, 2003 - 19:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The FBI believes that one of the hijackers who took over Flight 93 on September 11 may have decided to crash the plane on purpose. The bureau thinks it may have been to prevent the passengers who rose up against the hijackers from retaking control of the plane.
CNN's David Mattingly has more now on the FBI's findings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the midst of the 9/11 attacks, United Flight 93 crashed mysteriously at the edge of an open feel near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

But now, according to FBI Director Robert Mueller, the cockpit voice recorder reveals clues that the plane could have been crashed deliberately by the hijackers. According to a report released by Congress last month, Mueller told the congressional 9/11 committee that one hijacker, minutes before the plane hit the ground, advised another hijacker, Ziad Jarrah, believed to be at the controls at the time, to crash the plane and end the passengers' attempt to retake the airplane.

Heart-wrenching phone calls from on board told of a passenger revolt in the works. Crashing just minutes from Washington, it's believed their courage prevented the plane from reaching its target.

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: There was some dispute as to whether it was the White House or the U.S. Capitol. And I don't think we'll ever know.

MATTINGLY: Seven months after the attack, the FBI allowed Flight 93 families to listen to the cockpit voice recordings and the disturbing sounds of what appeared to be a life-and-death struggle.

ALICE HOGLAND, MOTHER OF VICTIM: The cockpit voice recording does, indeed, confirm that our loved ones died heroes.

MATTINGLY: But there continues to be no clear indication that the passengers themselves were able to reach the controls. And this new information that the plane could have been brought down deliberately by hijackers remains just a theory, one of several, of how of Flight 93 crashed.

David Mattingly, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Well, one of those aboard Flight 93 who called his family and is believed to have fought back was Jeremy Glick.

Jeremy's uncle, Thomas Crowley, joins us tonight from Atlanta.

Thomas, thanks very much for being with us.

Does this information that has come out from the FBI, does it in any way change what you believe happened aboard that plane?

THOMAS CROWLEY, UNCLE OF FLIGHT 93 VICTIM: I don't think it does at all.

What the family believes is -- and understand that Liz was on the phone with Jeremy for the last 20 minutes prior to the men going forward -- that -- and they had discussed Jeremy going forward -- that once Jeremy went forward, she handed the phone to her father, Richard. Richard heard the plane dive. And by that, he heard the passengers yelling and screaming, much as though they were on an amusement park ride.

It was quiet for some period of time. Then he heard the passengers yell and scream again. So we believe that the plane had dived twice. Also, Lizzie listened to the cockpit tapes. And in listening to the tapes, she heard Jeremy enter the cockpit. Jeremy was -- had received national honors in judo in college. And he had been a judo student since his preteen days.

Lizzie heard Jeremy make the sound he makes prior to a strike. She heard the strike complete, followed immediately by someone choking, as if his windpipe had been broken. So we are sure that Jeremy was in the cockpit and that Jeremy disabled or killed one of the hijackers. The FBI...

COOPER: I'm sorry. Let me just say, the FBI -- we're going to put this on the screen -- the spokeswoman, Susan Whitson, told CNN that -- she said -- quote -- "The only thing we can say definitely is that the passengers aboard that flight were heroes."

Do you feel like you know all you need to know and your family knows all they need to know about what went on? Are you satisfied?

CROWLEY: Actually not. I would like to see the FBI come out with a definitive report of what happened on that flight. I think they've got the information. They have the information from the families.

They have the timings of the two black boxes that they recovered, plus the timings of Lizzie's phone conversation, which also was with New York State Police at the time. So all of that is recorded. And that information can be correlated and I believe they can get a lot closer to what really happened.

COOPER: All right, Thomas Crowley, appreciate you coming in to talk about this, about your nephew Jeremy Glick. Thank you very much.

WALTERS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired August 8, 2003 - 19:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The FBI believes that one of the hijackers who took over Flight 93 on September 11 may have decided to crash the plane on purpose. The bureau thinks it may have been to prevent the passengers who rose up against the hijackers from retaking control of the plane.
CNN's David Mattingly has more now on the FBI's findings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the midst of the 9/11 attacks, United Flight 93 crashed mysteriously at the edge of an open feel near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

But now, according to FBI Director Robert Mueller, the cockpit voice recorder reveals clues that the plane could have been crashed deliberately by the hijackers. According to a report released by Congress last month, Mueller told the congressional 9/11 committee that one hijacker, minutes before the plane hit the ground, advised another hijacker, Ziad Jarrah, believed to be at the controls at the time, to crash the plane and end the passengers' attempt to retake the airplane.

Heart-wrenching phone calls from on board told of a passenger revolt in the works. Crashing just minutes from Washington, it's believed their courage prevented the plane from reaching its target.

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: There was some dispute as to whether it was the White House or the U.S. Capitol. And I don't think we'll ever know.

MATTINGLY: Seven months after the attack, the FBI allowed Flight 93 families to listen to the cockpit voice recordings and the disturbing sounds of what appeared to be a life-and-death struggle.

ALICE HOGLAND, MOTHER OF VICTIM: The cockpit voice recording does, indeed, confirm that our loved ones died heroes.

MATTINGLY: But there continues to be no clear indication that the passengers themselves were able to reach the controls. And this new information that the plane could have been brought down deliberately by hijackers remains just a theory, one of several, of how of Flight 93 crashed.

David Mattingly, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Well, one of those aboard Flight 93 who called his family and is believed to have fought back was Jeremy Glick.

Jeremy's uncle, Thomas Crowley, joins us tonight from Atlanta.

Thomas, thanks very much for being with us.

Does this information that has come out from the FBI, does it in any way change what you believe happened aboard that plane?

THOMAS CROWLEY, UNCLE OF FLIGHT 93 VICTIM: I don't think it does at all.

What the family believes is -- and understand that Liz was on the phone with Jeremy for the last 20 minutes prior to the men going forward -- that -- and they had discussed Jeremy going forward -- that once Jeremy went forward, she handed the phone to her father, Richard. Richard heard the plane dive. And by that, he heard the passengers yelling and screaming, much as though they were on an amusement park ride.

It was quiet for some period of time. Then he heard the passengers yell and scream again. So we believe that the plane had dived twice. Also, Lizzie listened to the cockpit tapes. And in listening to the tapes, she heard Jeremy enter the cockpit. Jeremy was -- had received national honors in judo in college. And he had been a judo student since his preteen days.

Lizzie heard Jeremy make the sound he makes prior to a strike. She heard the strike complete, followed immediately by someone choking, as if his windpipe had been broken. So we are sure that Jeremy was in the cockpit and that Jeremy disabled or killed one of the hijackers. The FBI...

COOPER: I'm sorry. Let me just say, the FBI -- we're going to put this on the screen -- the spokeswoman, Susan Whitson, told CNN that -- she said -- quote -- "The only thing we can say definitely is that the passengers aboard that flight were heroes."

Do you feel like you know all you need to know and your family knows all they need to know about what went on? Are you satisfied?

CROWLEY: Actually not. I would like to see the FBI come out with a definitive report of what happened on that flight. I think they've got the information. They have the information from the families.

They have the timings of the two black boxes that they recovered, plus the timings of Lizzie's phone conversation, which also was with New York State Police at the time. So all of that is recorded. And that information can be correlated and I believe they can get a lot closer to what really happened.

COOPER: All right, Thomas Crowley, appreciate you coming in to talk about this, about your nephew Jeremy Glick. Thank you very much.

WALTERS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com