09/12/2026
On the morning of September 11, 2001, two pilots who had never flown together before met at Newark to operate United Flight 93 to San Francisco.
Captain Jason Dahl, 43, had soloed at 16, joined United in 1984 and became a standards captain — trusted to train and evaluate other pilots. He wasn't originally supposed to be on Flight 93. Dahl had traded for the trip so he could take his wife, Sandy, to London that weekend for their fifth anniversary.
Beside him was First Officer LeRoy Homer, 36, a former Air Force pilot and Gulf War veteran who had flown C-141 transports and humanitarian missions into Somalia. Waiting at home in New Jersey were his wife, Melodie, and their 10-month-old daughter, Laurel.
Then came a warning.
At 9:23 a.m., United dispatch sent a message directly to their cockpit:
“Beware any cockpit intrusion. Two a/c hit World Trade Center.”
Three minutes later, Dahl replied:
“Ed, confirm latest mssg plz. Jason.”
Just two minutes after that, the hijackers stormed the cockpit.
At 9:28:17, an air traffic controller heard Flight 93's radio suddenly activate.
“Mayday.”
Behind that single word were the sounds of a violent struggle.
About 35 seconds later came another transmission. One of the pilots could be heard shouting:
“Hey, get out of here. Get out of here. Get out of here.”
It became the only Mayday transmission heard from any of the four hijacked aircraft on 9/11.
According to the 9/11 Commission, the fight inside Flight 93's cockpit was still underway during the second transmission. Investigators could not determine which pilot keyed the radio — or whether it was intentional.
The hijackers eventually seized control.
But 29 minutes later, passengers and crew launched their own counterattack and rushed toward the cockpit.
At 10:03 a.m., Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing everyone aboard.
It never reached Washington.
The story didn't end there.
The following year, Melodie Homer created a foundation in her husband's name to help young people who otherwise couldn't afford it learn to fly. It has awarded dozens of scholarships, helping future aviators earn their licenses and go on to fly aircraft ranging from military jets to commercial airliners.
LeRoy Homer's daughter was only 10 months old that morning.
Behind Flight 93's famous passenger revolt were two pilots who had fought first — and whose voices from the cockpit became part of the final record of what happened aboard the aircraft.
