Watch TWA pilot who ‘dodged’ two hijacked planes on 9/11 called unsung hero (Full video)
A TWA pilot, who skillfully maneuvered to avoid two hijacked planes heading toward the attacks on the World Trade Center and the U.S. Capitol on September 11, 2001, is now acknowledged as an uncelebrated hero after 22 years.
These lesser-known incidents are overshadowed by the tragic events of 9/11, which claimed 2,977 lives in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on four hijacked planes.
The pilot of TWA Flight 3 took evasive actions twice, first to avoid a collision with United Flight 175, which struck the World Trade Center, and then with Flight 93, which eventually crashed in Pennsylvania. These details come from a flight attendant who was part of the crew.
Remarkably, this composed pilot has never received public recognition or been mentioned in the September 11 Commission Report or other historical accounts. However, for the passengers on that fateful flight, his actions remain unforgettable, with some passengers expressing that he saved their lives.
TWA’s Boeing 767 took off from JFK at 8:47 a.m., almost the same time American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. The cockpit commander, known only as “George,” guided the aircraft as passengers saw the World Trade Center on fire.
Minutes later, the TWA plane narrowly avoided a collision with United 175, taking evasive maneuvers. After learning about the South Tower impact, TWA flight attendants fortified the cockpit door to guard against hijacking.
The pilot received a chilling message over the loudspeaker, declaring a national emergency, and the crew was prepared for emergency landing, initially planned for Indianapolis but eventually diverted to Dayton, Ohio.
During this time, passengers on board learned about the Pentagon attack by American Airlines Flight 77. Additionally, proximity alarms in TWA’s cockpit alerted them to another aircraft, Flight 93 from Newark, which was heading to Washington, D.C.
The pilot once again took evasive action, avoiding a collision with Flight 93, which later crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers bravely fought the hijackers.
Upon landing in Dayton, the TWA crew realized how close they had come to the second hijacked plane. They had missed it by a mere 500 feet.
The fact that no collisions occurred might explain why these near misses have been overlooked. According to Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation, flight crews typically report such evasive actions to their airline, which then files a report with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, there are no reports of these 9/11 near misses in response to inquiries.
American Airlines, which absorbed TWA later in 2001, did not respond to messages regarding these incidents. When asked about reports of 9/11 near misses, an FAA spokesperson did not provide any information.