Pilot who was due to fly first hijacked 9/11 plane reveals 'shocking' three words he saw on flight schedule
The pilot who was scheduled to fly the first hijacked plane on 9/11 has recalled the 'shocking' moment he read the flight schedule following the World Trade Center attacks.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, First Officer Steve Scheibner packed his bags and waited for the call confirming his assignment to fly American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles.
However, he never received that call and the aircraft never made it to Los Angeles.
Instead, Flight 11 became part of the darkest day in American history, becoming the first hijacked plane to crash into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers.
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And instead, Captain Tom McGuinness ultimately occupied the seat Steve expected to fill.
Steve, who also served as a Navy pilot, recalled watching the attacks unfold on a small television in his boss's office, noting that people in his team were sure they were 'going to war' that day.
But it wasn't until 9pm that evening that he realized it was the exact flight he was due to captain.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Captain Steeeve, the pilot recalled: "I thought, 'I probably know the pilots and the flight attendants that were on that first airplane that was hijacked out of Boston because I've flown with everybody out of Boston.
"So, I went back to the computer and tried to bring up the manifest [flight schedule] with all the names on it of the flight.
"And when I did, it brought up the manifest and it was the exact same that I had seen the day before, where my name was on the trip."
He continued: "Except this time they had erased all of the names from the trip and all it said on the manifest was 'sequence failed continuity'."
The pilot explained the phrase is used when a flight hasn't reached its intended destination, which he noted was a complete 'understatement'.
"It was just shocking," he said.
"I was just staring at the screen thinking, 'that plane that got hijacked was the one I packed my bags for, I was supposed to be on it'."
Steve recalled the moment his wife came around the corner, and he said: "Remember I told you I was going to Los Angeles today? That was the first aeroplane that got hijacked this morning."
He said the two held each other for a while, noting that it's 'hard to describe that moment'.
They decided to wait until a year had gone by to tell their children that their dad was supposed to be the pilot on Flight 11, with one of his sons noting the reality didn't 'sink in for a while'.
And to mark the 25th anniversary of the tragic attacks, the family have set up a fundraiser to send 15 children on life-changing 'wish trips'.
"We're raising $150,000 for Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina," the family stated.
They hope to provide trips that create 'an unforgettable experience filled with hope, joy, and lasting memories'.
Thomas 'Tom' McGuinness Jr., was just 42 years old when he died in the 9/11 attacks.
He left behind his childhood sweetheart, Cheryl McGuinness, and their two children.
Mia Williams