Just received this by e-mail. A second cousin of a relative of someone I work for. But I'm sure it's accurate! LOL I certainly never heard any of these details on the news...

"Dear Family and Friends,

I am glad to be home. I want to share with you a little experience I had last night. It wasn't fun.

Over the weekend I was in Estes Park, CO, on business. Yesterday morning I arrived at the airport and learned that a plane had crashed in New York City. That bothered me a little, but I was ready to go home. As it turns out, I was on the flight that you may have read was diverted from Reagan/Washington to Dulles.

After we boarded the plane in Pittsburgh (my layover), the USAir staff told us about three times not to unbuckle our safety belts, and to remain in our seats, as the flight was only about 1/2 hour. (FAA regulation requires passengers to remain seated in the last half-hour of flights now, though I don't believe the crew stated it was regulation.) More than half way through the flight, as I was cross-stitching, I hear a man yell, "Everyone put your hands on your head!" I couldn't believe it. My first thought was, "Oh, brother, we are NOT doing this."....The man said it again and I and everyone put our hands on our heads.

We had no idea what was going on. Disbelief was about all that was going through my head. This was exactly what we had heard about, not ever thought of experiencing. I wondered if a terrorist had killed a stewardess, which had happened before, or if at any moment a fight was occurring. I had no idea what was happening. I just kept my hands up, like everyone else, and tried to keep myself inconspicous. I just could not believe it was happening. I also was thinking that I had plans for my life and needed to fulfill them, darn it!

A few minutes later a man comes on the speakers and says, "This is Joe Smith," (or whatever his name is). "I am a federal air marshall. I am in the cockpit."--for a second I thought, "Oh my gosh, what if he and terrorist/s are in the cockpit with him, and they've taken over the flight!"--He continued, "A few minutes ago a man approached the cockpit, and he is now in custody. We need everyone to remain in their seats with your hands on your head or on the seat in front of you. Because of this incident we are diverting the aircraft to Dulles."

Whew. I finally had knowledge about what was going on. But I spent the rest of the flight with my hands on my head, concerned that someone else might try something. A woman two rows behind me was hyperventilating, I was praying while mildly shaking, and others were joking around or talking.

A gentleman sitting near or next to Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) called out to everyone, and asked everyone to please stop laughing. He stated it was not a time to joke. I said aloud, "Thank you."

Landing relieved me. We stayed on the airplane for about 1.5 hours in the middle of some air strip, surrounded by police cars. No one could stand up, but after about a half hour, they let us use the lavatory one-by-one, escorted by a flight attendant. Meanwhile, FBI agents were interviewing passengers who saw what happened or talked with the man. They also nulled the electronic device usage ban they placed on us after about an hour, so that we could contact family members. They asked us not to call the press. Forty-five minutes after the pilot said we would fly to Reagan, the plans changed and they sent us to Reagan on buses.

The man who approached the cockpit was a Native American/Hispanic EPA attorney, who wanted to use the bathroom, which is immediately next to the cockpit. The man's mother thinks he lives in San Fransisco, while the FBI believes he lives in NW, DC. They let the man go without previous charges of noncompliance with airline staff, but charged him with drug possession.

A woman a few rows back from me said that she was on the flight with the gentleman from San Fransisco to Pittsburgh, and that on that flight he got out of his seat a few times. They had asked him to be seated. There was rumor that he was using drugs on the flight/s.

One is wise to ponder experiences such as this. First, I will be flying again. I have a visit scheduled to see my sister this coming weekend. I will be flying from Reagan to Greenville, SC. (Federal air marshalls, according the FAA, are on board every flight from and to Reagan by the way.) I also will be going back to work, in the Senate, a current target of bioterrorism. I am angry and am ready to fight on the front line.

Second, we hear frequently of individuals who have near-death experiences. They believe there is a reason they are still alive, and they often establish new life plans and change a little their living. Though my experience was not near-death, it definitely appeared to be. As a result, I am tying up loose ends in my life, telling more often those dearest to me that I love them and forgiving others. At my birthday in July I established 5-10 pages of life goals and objectives. I will be reviewing them, also.

We never know when we'll have another day of life on the earth. I would encourage you to embrace life, embrace your family, and embrace Jesus Christ, the man who became human to bear our sins, so that we could live forever with God.

Take care. My love to you all.

Rachel

PS-I would appreciate your prayers for protection and peace for me as I continue to work in DC. God bless you."

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Answers

How many others on that flight will be sending their perceptions thru the internet. Only time will tell.

It would be interesting to have folks post here when they receive this or similar emails. Post the messages here so we can see how they change as they are forwarded thru the net.

Sure am glad they lived to tell about it.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

WOW..is all I can say.

I can also say since what happened to my dad, I do not just "take" each day as status-quo, now. Each day I try to do or reflect on something or someone that has touched my life, and Try to see in what way I can still touch someone else's life. I can't remember WHO said this, but it has ALWAYS stuck with me....

Your whole life can change ...IN ONE SECOND!

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Note that on every flight into Reagan, passengers are required to remains seated for the last half-hour. This is because of its dangerous proximity to the White House, Pentagon, Capitol, etc.

I had read about this incident but not posted it because there have been several similar ones, where people have just acted like jerks. It's very reassuring to know that the system worked, dontcha think?

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

There are two marshalls on each of these flights, aren't there? In which case, is the other marshal the guy/gal in back who doesn't have his/her hands on his/her head?

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

I believe the eventual intent is to have two per flight but, at the moment, not every flight has even one. They're frantically hiring and training right now.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

It'll take a couple of arrests before these jerks learn that the flight crew's word is law. It's the same situation about making jokes about bombs around airport security -- do it and suffer the consequences.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001