The pilot who was ordered to ram a hijacked airliner

History · Published 7 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: On September 11, 2001, Lieutenant General Marc Sasseville was tasked with a harrowing mission: intercept United Airlines Flight 93. Because his jets lacked live missiles, the order was chillingly clear. He and his wingman had to physically ram the aircraft to prevent it from reaching Washington, D.C.

During the 9/11 dawn, Sasseville led operations for the D.C. 113th Wing. The D.C. Air National Guard. When the Secret Service requested fighter jets over the capital, Sasseville secured permission to launch aircraft equipped only with dummy ammunition from a recent training exercise. This technical limitation dictated the extreme nature of the mission: since they could not shoot the plane down, the only remaining tactic was a kinetic collision. He was the acting operations group commander that morning. He contacted Brigadier General David Wherley to authorize the use of war-reserve missiles. The Secret Service initiated the request for jets over the capital. This specific unit was based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Sasseville and Lieutenant Heather Penney flew toward the hijacked airliner with a specific plan to split the impact. Sasseville intended to strike the cockpit while Penney targeted the tail. He later noted the tactical complexity of such an act, explaining that hitting an engine alone might allow a plane to glide toward its target. However, the 9/11 Commission later determined that the aircraft had already crashed in a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at least 35 minutes before their takeoff. The four hijackers had taken control of the plane about 46 minutes after it departed. They intended to strike the White House or the U.S. Capitol. The aircraft was diverted toward the east coast. The 9/11 Commission confirmed the plane hit the ground before the jets were even airborne.

Sasseville's career is marked by significant milestones, including becoming the first Hispanic American to command the 113th Wing at Andrews Air Force Base. He served in various capacities, from a programmer in Spain to an F-22 core pilot in Nevada, before retiring in 2024 as a lieutenant general. His experience spans the transition from traditional air defense to high-stakes crisis response, embodying a career of navigating the most intense demands of modern aerial warfare. He was born in Ohio to a Puerto Rican mother and an Air Force officer father. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1985. He served as a defense attaché in Turkey. He retired from active duty on May 29, 2024.

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