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9/11 Pilot Planned Suicide Mission to Defend DC
7 Sep
Summary
- Heather Penney was prepared for a suicide mission on 9/11.
- She and her wingman planned to ram hijacked planes.
- Their mission was to protect Washington D.C. at all costs.
On September 11, 2001, Air National Guard First Lieutenant Heather Penney stood ready for a potential suicide mission to defend Washington D.C. As terror unfolded with the attacks on the Twin Towers, Penney and her flight lead, Colonel Marc Sasseville, scrambled their F-16s.
Knowing they lacked armed missiles, their desperate plan was to ram hijacked airliners. Penney recalled, "If [Sasseville] and I had been successful, it would have been a suicide mission. And you're willing to do it." They were tasked with intercepting an airliner heading towards the capital.
However, by the time they received the order to launch shortly after the Pentagon was hit, United Flight 93 had already crashed in Pennsylvania. Penney learned of this only after landing, realizing they would have been too late. Later that day, Penney escorted Air Force One back to Washington.
Reflecting 25 years later, Penney emphasizes that the willingness of passengers on Flight 93 to act mirrored their own readiness. She urges remembrance of the nation's unity and the potential for heroism in all Americans, honoring those lost on 9/11.
