Film chronicles Flight 93’s final moments

By BTL Staff

Perhaps one of the most unnerving aspects of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 is that there is still so much unknown. The quest for information has pushed books like “102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers” by Kevin Flynn and Jim Dwyer and even the government’s own “The 9/11 Commission Report” to the top of best seller lists.
While America watched the tragic falling of the towers and the smoldering Pentagon live on television, less is known about United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked, rerouted toward Washington, D.C., and crashed in Somerset County, Pa.
A new film airing Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005 at 9 p.m. on The Discovery Channel seeks to shed light on the 33 passengers and seven crew members, including gay rugby player and business man Mark Bingham, who fought back against the terrorists, avoiding a much larger catastrophe. A year after the crash, Advocate Books published “Hero of Flight 93: Mark Bingham,” a biography and tribute.
In this new film, Bingham’s mother describes him as a powerful, patriotic, gay American who had the physical strength and mental toughness to stand up to anyone – gay or straight. Bingham is portrayed as one of the planners of the attack against the terrorists, in which the passengers banded together to kill one of the four hijackers. The attack on the cockpit caused the terrorist pilot to ditch the plane in rural Pennsylvania, well before it had the chance to reach their original target, speculated to be either the Capitol Building or the White House in Washington D.C.
“The Flight That Fought Back” features personal accounts of witnesses and first-time interviews with families and friends of the heroes of Flight 93. The film is a minute-by-minute retelling of the plane’s final moments using comprehensive research including the 9/11 Commission Report, rarely heard voice recordings, and the personal reflections of family and friends on how their loved ones would have reacted to the situation. “The Flight That Fought Back” gives viewers a better understanding of the events on the plane and a deeper appreciation of the diverse group of men and women on board.