On September 11, 2001, four coordinated terrorist attacks were carried out by the Islamist extremist group al-Qaeda.

These attacks involved hijacking four commercial airplanes with the intention of crashing them into significant American landmarks. Here’s a detailed account of what transpired with each of the planes:

American Airlines Flight 11: This plane was the first to be hijacked. It was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 AM, causing a massive explosion and beginning the catastrophic collapse of the building.

United Airlines Flight 175: This plane was hijacked shortly after Flight 11. It crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 AM, resulting in another devastating explosion and leading to the eventual collapse of the South Tower.

American Airlines Flight 77: This plane was hijacked and flown into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, at 9:37 AM. The impact caused a significant portion of the building to collapse and resulted in numerous fatalities.

United Airlines Flight 93: This plane was hijacked with the intent to target another major landmark in Washington, D.C., likely either the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

However, passengers on Flight 93, aware of the other attacks through phone calls, attempted to regain control of the plane from the hijackers. Their heroic struggle caused the plane to crash into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 AM, preventing it from reaching its intended target.

Contrary to some misconceptions, no plane crashed into the White House on September 11.

The courageous actions of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 are widely credited with preventing the plane from reaching its intended target in Washington, D.C., thus averting further devastation.

The events of that day profoundly impacted the United States and the world, leading to significant changes in national security policies and global counterterrorism efforts.

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