Ghosts of Flight 93

On September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempted to retake the aircraft from hijackers. All 44 people aboard were killed. In the years since, visitors to the crash site and memorial have reported ghostly encounters with those who died there.

The Crash

Flight 93 was bound from Newark to San Francisco when four hijackers took control of the aircraft approximately forty minutes after takeoff. They intended to crash the plane into a target in Washington, D.C., likely the Capitol Building or the White House.

Passengers, having learned of the other 9/11 attacks through phone calls, decided to resist. In the struggle that followed, the hijackers crashed the plane into an empty field rather than allow it to be retaken. No one survived.

The Memorial

The Flight 93 National Memorial was established at the crash site, incorporating the field where the plane went down. The memorial includes a wall with the names of all passengers and crew, a visitors’ center, and preserved sections of the original field.

Visitors come from around the world to honor those who died and those whose actions prevented an even greater tragedy.

Reported Phenomena

Staff and visitors have reported unusual experiences at the memorial. These include:

Voices heard when no one is present, sometimes calling names or speaking in conversational tones.

Figures seen in the field, usually briefly and at a distance, who disappear when approached.

The sensation of being touched or embraced by unseen presences.

Phones and cameras malfunctioning in specific areas, then working normally elsewhere.

Strong emotional responses that visitors attribute to presences rather than their own grief.

Interpretations

Those who report these experiences generally interpret them positively. They feel the heroes of Flight 93 remain at the site, watching over visitors or communicating gratitude for being remembered.

Some visitors report receiving specific messages—reassurance, comfort, or the sense that a particular person wishes them to know something.

Assessment

The Flight 93 site is a place of intense emotional significance. Visitors arrive already primed for emotional experiences, and the memorial’s design encourages reflection on death and heroism.

Whether the reported phenomena represent genuine ghostly contact, psychological responses to an overwhelming emotional environment, or both, the experiences are real to those who have them. They find comfort in the sense that those who died on Flight 93 remain connected to the place where they fell.

The heroes of Flight 93 saved countless lives through their courage. If their spirits linger at the site of their sacrifice, they would find themselves surrounded by gratitude, honor, and the knowledge that their actions have never been forgotten.