The 9/11 Phone Call Of CeeCee Lyles, A Flight Attendant On Flight 93
9/11 Memorial & MuseumCeeCee Lyles in her United Airlines uniform.
In January 2001, CeeCee Lyles achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a flight attendant. Sadly, the 33-year-old would perish on United Airlines Flight 93 when it was hijacked during the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Just minutes before Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower, Flight 93 took off at 8:42 a.m. from Newark, New Jersey, en route to San Francisco. At 9:28 a.m., hijackers on the plane took control of the aircraft.
Lyles, who had recently gotten married in May 2000, called her husband Lorne at 9:47 a.m. At first, the call went to voicemail.
National Park ServiceCeeCee Lyles told her husband that some of her passengers were planning to fight back against the terrorists.
“Baby, you have to listen to me carefully,” Lyles said. “I’m on a plane that’s been hijacked… I want to tell you I love you. Please tell my children that I love them very much and I’m so sorry, babe… I don’t know what to say. There’s three guys. They’ve hijacked the plane. I’m trying to be calm. We’re turned around and I’ve heard that there’s planes that’s been, been flown into the World Trade Center. I hope to be able to see your face again, baby.”
When CeeCee Lyles called her husband again shortly before 10:03 a.m., Lorne was able to pick up. The couple prayed together, and CeeCee told Lorne that some of the passengers were planning to fight back against the hijackers. “We’re getting ready to do it now,” she said. “It’s happening!”
Indeed, several passengers on Flight 93 — including Tom Burnett, Todd Beamer, and Mark Bingham — fought back against the terrorists. Flight 93 ultimately crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania instead of its intended target, which may have been the White House or the U.S. Capitol.
