Editing United Airlines Flight 175 (section)

==Hijacking==
The hijacking occurred sometime between 08:42 - 8:46.{{sfn||9/11 Commission|2004a|p=28}} Investigators believe that the al-Ghamdi brothers forced the passengers and crew to the aft of the plane by terrorizing them with knives and bomb threats, while also spraying [[Mace (spray)|mace]] into the confines of the cabin.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7-8}} Several flight attendants were stabbed or slashed, and both pilots were murdered by Fayez Banihammad and Mohand al-Shehri when they breached the cockpit, allowing Marwan al-Shehhi to commandeer the flight controls.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7-8}}{{sfn|NTSB|2002a}} The first operational evidence that something was abnormal on Flight{{nbs}}175 came seconds after the North Tower was struck, when the plane's assigned [[Transponder (aviation)|transponder]] signal changed from "1470" to "3020" and then one minute later to "3321", and the aircraft began deviating from its assigned course.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7-8}}{{sfn|NTSB|2002a}} However, Bottiglia did not notice until minutes later at 08:51.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004b}} Unlike Flight{{nbs}}11, which had turned its transponder off, Flight{{nbs}}175's flight data could still be properly monitored.{{sfn|NTSB|2002a}} Also, at 08:51, Flight{{nbs}}175 changed altitude. Over the next three minutes, the controller made five unsuccessful attempts to contact Flight{{nbs}}175 and worked to move other aircraft in the vicinity away from Flight{{nbs}}175.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004b}} At 08:55, a supervisor at the New York Air Traffic Control Center notified the center's operations manager of the Flight{{nbs}}175 hijacking. Now tasked with handling Flight 175, Bottiglia remarked, "We might have a hijack over here, two of them."{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004b}}

===Near misses===
Around this time, the flight had a near midair collision with [[Delta Air Lines]] Flight{{nbs}}2315 flying from [[Bradley International Airport|Hartford]] to [[Tampa International Airport|Tampa]], reportedly missing the plane by only {{convert|300|feet|metres|-1}}.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="LearningChannel" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.natca.org/community/awards/atc-on-9-11-the-single-greatest-feat-in-all-of-atc-history/ |title=ATC on 9/11 'The Single Greatest Feat in All of ATC History' |access-date=November 21, 2023}}</ref> Bottiglia yelled at the Delta pilot to make collision avoidance maneuvers, adding, "I think [Flight 175] has been hijacked. I don't know his intentions. Take any evasive action necessary."<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20020912/NEWS/309129968 |title=Report: hijacked plane nearly hit flight from Bradley |date=September 12, 2002 |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=SouthCoastToday.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418010256/https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20020912/NEWS/309129968 |archive-date=April 18, 2019}}</ref><ref name="LearningChannel"/> It is likely that the [[Traffic collision avoidance system|TCAS]] system was sounding in the cockpit as Flight 175 briefly stopped descending at {{convert|28,000|feet|metres|-1}} and climbed {{convert|300|feet|metres|-1}} and started descending again as soon as they passed the Delta plane.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.natca.org/community/awards/atc-on-9-11-the-single-greatest-feat-in-all-of-atc-history/ |title=ATC on 9/11 'The Single Greatest Feat in All of ATC History' |access-date=November 21, 2023}}</ref> A few moments later, Flight 175 had another near midair collision with [[Trans World Airlines|TWA]] Flight{{nbs}}3 flying from [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK]] to [[St. Louis Lambert International Airport|St. Louis]] missing its tail by around {{convert|500|feet|metres|-1}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nypost.com/2023/09/09/twa-pilot-who-dodged-hijacked-plane-on-9-11-an-unsung-hero-2/ |title=TWA pilot who 'dodged' 2 hijacked planes on 9/11 called unsung hero |date=September 9, 2023 |access-date=November 10, 2023}}</ref> Moments before Flight{{nbs}}175 crashed, it also narrowly avoided colliding with [[Midwest Express]] Flight{{nbs}}7, which was flying from [[Milwaukee]] to New York.<ref>{{cite book |title=Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11 |first=Lynn |last=Spencer |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2008 |isbn=978-1416559252 |pages=74–76 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/touchinghistoryu00spen/page/74}}</ref>

===Calls===
Flight attendant Robert Fangman and passengers Peter Hanson and Brian David Sweeney made [[phone call]]s from GTE [[airphone]]s in the rear of the aircraft. Airphone records also indicate that passenger [[Garnet Bailey]] attempted to call his wife four times.<ref name="P200018">{{Cite web |title=Exhibit #P200018, United States v. Zacarias Moussaoui |url=https://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/101cr00455-trial-exhibits |access-date=July 1, 2011 |publisher=United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia |archive-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018110847/https://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/101cr00455-trial-exhibits |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="staff4">{{cite web |url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/staff_statement_4.pdf |title=The Four Flights – Staff Statement No. 4 |publisher=9/11 Commission |access-date=July 1, 2011 |archive-date=June 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616203848/http://www.9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/staff_statement_4.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

At 08:52, Robert Fangman called a United Airlines maintenance office in San Francisco and spoke with Marc Policastro.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7-8}}{{sfn|Davidsson|2013|p=173}} Fangman reported the hijacking and said the hijackers were likely flying the plane. He mentioned that both pilots were dead and that a flight attendant had been stabbed.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7-8}} After a minute and 15 seconds, the call was disconnected.<ref name="P200018" /> Policastro subsequently made attempts to contact the aircraft's cockpit using the [[Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System]] (ACARS) message system. He wrote, "I heard of a reported incident aboard your acft [aircraft]. Plz verify all is normal." He received no reply.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004b}}

Brian David Sweeney tried calling his wife, Julie, at 08:59, but ended up leaving a message letting her know the plane had been hijacked. He then called his parents at 09:00 and spoke with his mother, Louise. Sweeney told his mother about the hijacking and mentioned that passengers were considering storming the cockpit and taking control of the aircraft.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7-8}} Concerned that the hijackers would return, he informed her that he might have to hang up quickly. After saying their goodbyes, he hung up.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/03/10/911.call/ |title=Widow: 9/11 passengers planned to resist |date=Mar 10, 2004 |website=CNN |access-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411033817/http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/03/10/911.call/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

At 08:52, Peter Hanson called his father, Lee Hanson, in [[Easton, Connecticut]]. Hanson was traveling with his wife, Sue, and their two-year-old daughter, Christine, the youngest victim of the [[September 11 attacks]]. The family was originally seated in Row 19, in seats C, D, and E; however, Peter placed the call to his father from seat 30E. Speaking softly, Hanson said the hijackers had commandeered the cockpit, a flight attendant had been stabbed, and that possibly someone else in the front of the aircraft had been killed. He also said the plane was flying erratically. Hanson asked his father to contact United Airlines, but Lee could not get through and instead called the police.{{sfn|9/11 Commission|2004a|pp=7-8}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-11-na-moussa11-story.html |title=Moussaoui Jury Hears the Panic From 9/11 |author=Serrano, Richard A. |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 11, 2006 |access-date=October 24, 2008 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225172359/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/apr/11/nation/na-moussa11 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Peter Hanson made a second phone call to his father at 09:00:
<blockquote>It's getting bad, Dad. A stewardess was stabbed. They seem to have knives and [[Mace (spray)|Mace]]. They said they have a bomb. It's getting very bad on the plane. Passengers are throwing up and getting sick. The plane is making jerky movements. I don't think the pilot is flying the plane. I think we are going down. I think they intend to go to Chicago or someplace and fly into a building. Don't worry, Dad. If it happens, it'll be very fast{{nbs}}... Oh, my God{{nbs}}... oh, my God, oh, my God.<ref name="LearningChannel"/></blockquote>

As the call abruptly ended, Hanson's father heard a woman screaming.<ref name="LearningChannel"/> He then switched on the television, as did Louise Sweeney in her own home, and both witnessed as the plane struck the South Tower.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/10/moussaoui.victims/ |title=Father recalls son's last words on 9/11 |author=Hirschkorn, Phil |work=CNN |date=April 11, 2006 |url-status=live |access-date=August 24, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207062054/http://edition.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/10/moussaoui.victims/}}</ref>
[[File:New York Control tower to NY TRACON.ogg|thumb|Two New York air traffic controllers communicate the positioning of United Airlines Flight 175 live.]]