Brave F-16 Pilot Considered ‘Ramming’ Flight 93 on 9/11
- Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:02pm by
Buck Sexton
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As the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 approaches, Lieutenant Heather “Lucky” Penney remembers what was asked of her, and the decision she faced.
To take down Flight 93 — the fourth and final hijacked airborne craft that day — it was possible she would have to ram it.
Lt. Penney was a rookie Air National Guard combat pilot, and she was in a position where she may have had to give her life and take down a civilian airliner to save others on the ground.
Lt. Penney’s F-16 was the second to take off in pursuit of Flight 93 from Andrews Air Force base. Having just returned from training in Nevada, her fighter plane was outfitted mostly with dummy munitions. It had 511 rounds of non-explosive training ammo, but that only provided roughly a 5-sec. burst of the 20-mm gun.
In the end, the heroism of the passengers aboard Flight 93 kept Lt. Penney from having to shoot or ram the jetliner. But she clearly recalls her decision. She was going to do whatever it took to make sure the fourth hijacked plane didn’t become a guided missile with the potential to kill hundreds more innocent people. To this day, it is believed the terrorists aboard Flight 93 were targeting the White House.
Penney told New York Magazine about her ordeal:
“We wouldn’t be shooting it down. We’d be ramming the aircraft, I would essentially be a kamikaze pilot.”
She remembers that day with the grace and humility exemplified by our brave men and women in uniform: ”I was just an accidental witness to history,” she says.
Even a decade later, she rarely speaks of her experience. When Lt. Penney does, she insists the first-responders are the true heroes from that fateful day.
At this time of reflection on the loss and sacrifice of 9/11, we also honor the bravery of those in uniform who gave their lives to protect others, and those who continue to safeguard our lives and liberty.
Watch this video of Lt. Penney’s story, courtesy of the Washington Post:
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Comments (208)
MODEL82A1
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:44pmThe Second plane hit the Second tower at 9:03 am. Flight 93 crashed near Shankesville at 9:28 PM. Do any of you have any idea how long it takes to scramble attack aircraft? Since your only sources of information is Glenn Beck, maybe he’ll explain it to you someday. Point is, this incident was a HORRIBLE call (under HORRIBLE duress, granted) and Lt. Penney almost got the ultimate shaft because of it.
Report Post »conservideo
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:24pmRegardless of the lack or preparedness for this sort of attack (lesson learned), our pilots made an oath to put themselves in harms way to save lives. The unfortunate mindset of those polluted by progressive thinking is that progressives are willing to sacrifice the many for the few, as apposed to the more honorable task of sacrificing the one, or few for the many. If the passengers hadn’t taken down Flight 93, Lt. Penney would have been tasked with adding herself and her F-16 to the casualty list.
I can only imagine what had to be going through her mind, but I don’t doubt for one minute her valor and willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. I’m thankful to the bravery of our Pilots and soldiers. My father and brother are veterans and they were willing to make the same choices when they enlisted. “GOD” bless the brave men and women in our armed forces. We owe them everything!!!
Report Post »GroundZero is Nuclear Demolition x3
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:31pmAccording to a book I have read, from notice, standby pilots are expected to be at 40K ft in 2mins.
Report Post »Are you aware of what a hot pad is?
1SSF
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 6:23pm@GROUNDZERO – You’re talking about an alert pad. Not every ANG unit is alert status. The very fact the F-16s were configured with training ammunition means they were not on alert status.
I imagine half of the people on this thread are military personnel. We’ve been in combat. Life and military reality is a little different than “what I read in a book”. You History Channel historian types are an embarrassment. (Please) Go back to Hollywood.
Report Post »GroundZero is Nuclear Demolition x3
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:13pm@1ss There is always a pair on standby, using a hot pad at the end of the runway. On that day it was Otis AFB, I would give the names of the pilots but I don’t own the book u claim they made a fortune on.
Have u even read a book on the subject? I have read several on this subject including “The Commission”. Do u know where the CIA got their intel from, A WALK IN! That’s right someone just walked in and said “I trained w/ Al’Q and UBL did it”. Didn’t know the guy from adam, but he told them what they wanted to hear and that was good enough.
But I am sure ur a smart guy, please enlighten us w/ ur grand wisdom. Tell us the “solid” case the weakly standard made to associate Sadam w/ UBL.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:17pm@ Nuke Demo — we have not had planes on hot pads since the Cold War ended. Yes, I know what a hot pad is and have driven past them at NAS Key West. All the hot pads INCONUS were empty on 9-11-01 since we were not at war w/anyone close at hand or that had nuke weapons.
Take your conspiracy theory somewhere else.
Report Post »1SSF
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:53pm@GROUNDZERO: With very few exceptions we haven’t had alert aircraft at EOR since the Cold War. (I worked ALERT in Florida.) Indeed, the problem we were faced with ten years ago was problematic since having no longer had an Offensive/Defensive Posture for air-defense for a threat inside our borders, with the enemy using our own aircraft. It was right out of Clancy. Unfortunately, that’s why the attack, worked.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 12:16am@MODEL82A1
Report Post »You say, “Since your only sources of information is Glenn Beck”…
You are so wrong. Glenn Beck is only one of our many sources of information. You however, have Chris Matthews, Ed Shultz, Rachel MadCow, Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson for your information sources.
POSER ALERT!!!
Inbred Jed
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 9:42am@1SSF
You could not be more correct, and thank you for the service to our great country.
Report Post »FoxholeAtheist
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:42pm“You know it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims’ families? Took me about a year. And when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I’m just like, “Oh shut up!” I‘m so sick of them because they’re always complaining.”
Report Post »FireRose
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:01pmYes, people tend to be upset when their loved ones are mudered.
Report Post »Fly Old Glory 24/7 365
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:16pm@ firerose: Not assholeathiest. He would look in the mirror and tell himself to just shut the h… up and be sick and tired of his own whining and he would just get on with it. yep, that is what he would do…
Report Post »LinkedIn G
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:33pmYou are dismissed
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:26pmTalking about it helps the healing proceed. If you don’t want to listen, turn off the tube. It’s going to take a long time for some to heal and move forward. Generally speaking, the more traumatic, the longer the healing process.
Report Post »LookTowardsTheLight
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:49pm@FoxholeAtheist
Where you actually in a foxhole you D-bag?
Report Post »Nevermind
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:37pm“republapig
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:18pm
Exactly what i was thinking. We have planes to protect us filled with blanks? If she wasn’t ready for real ammo she had no business in that cockpit”
As an Air Force vet i can tell you they didnt have the time to properly eqiup a plane and they didnt know what they were up against. It isnt as if they just have missle sitting around in a cabinet that take 5 minutes to load up. They needed planes in the air and had no ideas the trajectory of the target .
Lets not talk ill of our military or its readiness . The people that swear an oath to dedenf this country dont need sarcasm, ignorance or silly questions. What they did was brave and should be applauded. If needed she or any airman would gladly ram to save the lives of US citizens . Missle or not they would complete the job
Report Post »cloudsofwar
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:53pmher jet had real ammo but not explosive. a 5 sec burst of 20mm probably would have done the trick. she could have taken out the cockpit and tore flight 93 up. 5 sec is a long time and a lot of ammo of 20mm. but thank god she didn’t have to do it. LETS ROLL
Report Post »OldVet
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:00pmCorrect Nevermind. She was “Eyes on the scene” which is the first thing we have to go for. She was not joyriding, she was following orders. We have used “Combat Controllers” for years and they are usually unarmed except for sidearms. That just happened to be what she was assigned, in the time allowed.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:36pmRight, we all know that a 757 traveling vertically at about 600 Mph sticks in the ground like a lawn jart. Dumbass.
Report Post »NOTALOTTAYITTAYADDA
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:34pmHere is one of the most experienced pilots known, received accolades for the most certifications at the FAA 25 aniv banquet. His father DESIGNED THE LEAR JET!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ksnvOvAv0
I think it’s a requirement to lie, in order to get any job in the fed gov.
Report Post »Not hard to say u r willing to ram a hologram.
riseandshine
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:40pmHere’s the fraud poser again.
Report Post »OldVet
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:17pmWhat a Fraud!!!! He says he flew a B767 flight simulater belonging to Pan American Airlines which went out of business 10 YEARs before 9-11. This guy is a total NUTJOB. Don’t believe a word of this crap.
Report Post »OldVet
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:50pmI have to retract part of my statement, there is a PanAM Flt academy with b767 simulators. But this guy is still full of CRAP.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 12:47am@NOTALOTTAYITTAYADDA
Report Post »You said, “I think it’s a requirement to lie, in order to get any job in the fed gov”.
Isn’t that what Obama is doing? He has the highest gov position one can possibly obtain. He lies and so do you. Maybe you should get a job in the Gov? Oh, sorry, you also work for Soros.POSER!!!!
wkan
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:32pmI just heard the click of the first second of someone‘s 15 min’s of fame. Soon to be seen with obambi our black president somewhere near you soon!
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:24pmHe’s not Black. He’s Arab. His father was muslim, has an Arabic surname. In East Africa, you can be physically so black you’re blue, but if you have an ounce of Arab blood in you and are muslim, you are not African; you are an Arab. The reason for this is the Arab slave trade alone the Swahili Coast. Arabs would not enslave other Arabs who were muslims, but they would happily enslave Black Africans for whom they had great disdain.
You see it as part of the Sudanese civil war in Darfur. The Janjaweed militia is made of of black skinned Arabs who are happily killing Black Africans who are muslims because they are Black Africans.
Report Post »RWNJ01
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:31pmIf it was shot down it would still leave debris, so the area not having much in the weigh of debris in a particular location is not conclusive of your presumption.
Report Post »Dangerous Dave
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:29pmTake off the tinfoil hat and take your meds, Julio.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:29pmEvidence???
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:28pmIn theory, the 511 rounds COULD have brought dowm the airliner — if they were perfectly aimed at the cockpit. Also, ramming is not exactly a “kamikaze” tactic. In 1945, a German unit of ME-109′s (sonderkommando ELBE, as I recall) had orders to ram our heavy bombers (B-17 & B-24), they estimated a 10% survival rate of the fighter pilots. Some did take down a bomber (1 took out 2!) and survive. Of course, the speeds involved in those ramming attacks were less.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 7:31pmThat was also before ejection seats. I’ve seen guys bail at runway levels and survive. I’ve seen them punch out in the most inconvenient of positions, get one swing on the chute and survive.
Had she dropped the gear, dug into the jetliner, and immediately bailed, she might have survived but her target would not have. The pilots would not have had the experience to get out of that. She could also have gotten in front and tried to flame out their engines. It’s a good bet, they could not recover fm a stall. Even a good bit of turbulence fm her F-16′s engine could have been enough to knock them out of the sky.
Report Post »corbecket
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:11pm“In theory, the 511 rounds COULD have brought dowm the airliner ”
In theory?!?! We’re talking about a Boeing transport category aircraft. They are not armor plated, but constructed of thin aluminum skin over their vitals. All that would be necessary to destroy this aircraft would be to sidle up behind the wingroot and put a short burst in (both sides if you insist). The fuel cells go, the wing disintegrates, and down she goes. An attack on the cockpit would certainly not have been necessary.
As to ramming the airliner, PLEASE. No kamikaze attack would have been necessary. The F-16 is just as flimsy as the Boeing (lots of thin aluminum or composite, and what amounts to cardboard in some of the wing control structures). The fighter pilot knows this. I‘m not sure why she’s showboating, but I suppose it’s a good story. Non-explosive cannon rounds would have been quite adequate for the task at hand. Fortunately, she never had to find out if ramming was all she had left as an option.
As to being brave? Well, I’ll submit that the air carrier crews that were back on their schedules as early as a few days after the incident, before additional security was implimented, had just as big a set of cajones as the F-16 driver. None of the other crews I flew with during that period thought they were doing anything heroic by any means. They had just as much skin in the game as their passengers. Just folks doing their jobs.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 10:02pmO.K., so I understated it. How often does that happen on the Blaze?
Report Post »curtisgb
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 11:23amDudes. Many WWII stories of Soviet tactics to use ramming when all else failed.
Report Post »Sy Kosys
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:28pm(sigh)
10 years later, Truthers are still crazy as bat guano
Report Post »mrqstixx
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:27pmOh really ?………………………….. Douche Alert !
Report Post »OldVet
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:26pmThe cockpit recorder did not indicate they were shot down. But they would have if they had been allowed to proceed on course toward the Whitehouse.Don’t belittle the deaths of the heroic passengers.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:26pmSaw that on NatGeo this past week. They said they would have run into the airliner’s wing and knocked it off if they had to. You do what you have to do to.
Report Post »ToddinVB
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:24pmCan you imagine being put in a position to take civilian lives to save others and having to give yours in order to do it? Yes, I know some of you have, and I thank you for being there for the rest of us.
Report Post »TunaBlue
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:21pmHappy to have you with us, Lt. Penney. You are certainly “Lucky.” I wonder if she had the moniker before the incident with Flight 93.
Report Post »TunaBlue
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:27pmI found my answer: She had the moniker of Lucky before and it was a play off of her last name. Penney was one America’s first female combat pilots. She was later part of the fighter escort that guarded Air Force One when Bush returned to Washington.
Report Post »CalvinandHobbes
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:21pmDid she even consider ejecting just before hitting the aircraft?
Report Post »curtisgb
Posted on September 10, 2011 at 11:20amIf she were to accomplish her mission, she would have had to wait until after the airliner went into uncontrolled flight before she could consider ejecting. Any instability in air flow, the force of the ejection on the f-16, any maneuvering could have altered the flight path to the point of mission fail (and failure to bring down the airliner).
Report Post »rappini
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:21pmNot sure but I believe that those two F-16′s were the closest to Flt 93. Ramming works.
Report Post »VShagios
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:20pmWhy not scramble an unarmed fighter, they don’t let the troops have ammo on posts, and sometimes in combat areas.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:17pmIt is just horrible what those passengers and pilots and their loved ones had to go through. At least it didn’t go off as intended by the perpetrators…we wouldn‘t have all of the abundant evidence of WTC 7’s controlled demolition, if the plane had hit it’s intended target.
Report Post »Dhamael
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:29pmControlled demolition my rear. Do you know that steel loses more than HALF its strength at 1900 degrees F? Burning Debris from the fall of the north Tower rained down on Bldg 7 and it caught fire and BURNED for 7 hrs. The penthouses collapsed first into the interior of the structure, and the rest came down in similar fashion as the towers. Snowball effect of incresing load versus weakening steel, not just the beams, but the joints and welds as well. Conspiracy is fun, but we must live in reality, friend.
Report Post »GroundZero is Nuclear Demolition x3
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:52pm@dhamael Are u retarded boy, or a well paid shill? The bellows were invented by blacksmiths to make coal fires (much hotter than jet fuel) hot enough to work steel. With out forced induction, those fires would not exceed 250C, a typical office fire. Here explain this:
Report Post »http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/911/images/lg-map-therm1.jpg
How does an office fire create a blast circle? Notice the radius created, and the FACT that it’s a GOVERNMENT site.
The temps indicated are OVER 2400 deg, and this thermal image was taken FIVE DAYS LATER!!
Get ur head out that Iraqi sand u luv invading so much.
riseandshine
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:53pmYes we do, my friend.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:54pm* Yes we must.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:00pm@Groundzero…..there was nothing nuclear involved in the demolition, and you know it.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:02pmYou’re the paid shill ZERO.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 8:54pmPrecisely why it pancaked instead of toppling over.
Metallurgists and structural engineers have been over this multiple times. They say it was more than possible — foolproof — that the towers would come down when hit by fully fueled aircraft.
Get a life!
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:25pm@1SSF…Thank you
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:37pmElena….There was no evidence whatsoever of any pancaking in the rubble of any of the buildings….or in any of the video.
Report Post »FORLORNHOPE
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:43pmI have seen many times where incinerators were fed plastic material. With a fan blowing the steel sides will turn red then yellow and exhaust pipe will melt. I have seen the steel chimney stack fall over from the heat of burning plastic mixed with a suppy of oxygen. There is a stiff breeze up there and a lot of plastic in the plane/building you know. Throw a nice chunk of plastic in a fireplace it will scare the crap out of you
Report Post »preppymom
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:15pmMy cousin worked on a floor of the World Trade Center that got hit by the first plane. She lost her job three days before 9/11. She never checked who had died as it was too upsetting. She chose not to know.
Report Post »ALibertarianCitizen
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:15pmNow that is what I call “Samurai” Honour. I admire such Asianic honor and sense of duty that extends itself to the willingness to give your own life. A man who gives his life for others, lives on as the image of a hero. The one who is willing shall live an honourable dutiful life.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:14pmGod above bless the troops we have here at home and abrod as well. To face such a situation if they had to do so, that takes true dedication to the country above self. And we have a President who puts himself above the nation and the soldiers.
Report Post »Hoser
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 9:11pm@SNOWLEOPARD: I read your moving post on GB’s site earlier. My wife and I extend our dearest sympathies and prayers to you for your great loss on 9/11. God speed –
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:14pmI‘m glad that she didn’t have to ram it to bring it down. That would have to be a terrible thing to think of having to do. Also, it would have just caused one more family to have to suffer the loss of a loved one on that day. I‘m sure that having to make that decision really changed her and that she has to live with mixed feelings of the horror of the plane having to crash and the thankfulness I’m sure she felt by not having to be the one to have to do it. She definitely exemplifies the qualities of a hero and a true and dedicated soldier. Also, not putting down the Air National Guard in any way but that was something that generally a regular soldier would have to decide. Of course, I’m not really familiar with whether the Guard routinely has to make life and death choices or not.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:11pmThey scrambled an UNARMED “fighter” jet?
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:15pmI’m sure they scrambled every jet. This one just had not had time to change it’s armament. Besides like she said, it really wasn’t unarmed. The entire jet was armament.
Report Post »republapig
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:18pmExactly what i was thinking. We have planes to protect us filled with blanks? If she wasn’t ready for real ammo she had no business in that cockpit.
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:21pmLove that armchair quarterbacking there dude!
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:23pmBrave woman, brave people.
Report Post »OldVet
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:23pmRead the story. she was returning from a training mission and was already in the air. She had 500+ rounds of 20mm and a large kinetic missle. You don’t seem to get it.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:26pmRIGHTUNITE, you are obviously a military expert.. Lol!!! Dumbass.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:28pmThey were the only ones up there. In order to keep the airliner from killing, perhaps, a thousand more people, or hit the White House, they were willing to give their life.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:32pmOLDVET, you must be REALLY old, because, in 2001, the United States had fully armed fighter jets ready to scramble ALL OVER AMERICA. Scrambling a dummy-armed returning training flight is simply a waste of hardware and personnel. Dumbass.
Report Post »OldVet
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:44pmI guess I will just have to be old. Actually a retired Military Air Traffic Contoller. I was on duty on 9-11. I can tell you that in this case anything in the air was put to use. Even with no weapons the eyes of the pilot were an asset.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 4:55pm@Oldvet
Report Post »What I saw on NatGeo, the people from Andrews, that scrambled weren’t already up there. They were on the ground, frustrated, when they finally got permission to scramble. I only remember two people, “Lucky” Penney and a guy (whose name I don’t remember.) It was the guy who said he was ready to ram the airliner.
OldVet
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:08pmAnonymous What she did was a quick turn around. She had just landed. I’m sure they “Hot refueled” her and got her back in the air asap. She wasn’t sitting there waiting to scramble. I don’t know about NATGeo, but in the article above she stated that she would have rammed if need be. There is nothing fishy about this story. Why can’t we just enjoy a good war story and quit trying to pick it apart.
Report Post »Enough is Enough__Oath_Keeper
Posted on September 9, 2011 at 5:49pmHalf of the 3ID was guarding the Savannah GA Airport with unloaded M-16 because we did not have time to draw ammo. They brought that several hours later.
Report Post »