Boeing 757 accident near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, September 11, 2001
On September 11, 2001, a Boeing 757, registered N591UA, was destroyed in an accident near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 44 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The Safety Board did not determine the probable cause and does not plan to issue a report or open a public docket. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Safety Board provided requested technical assistance to the FBI, and any material generated by the NTSB is under the control of the FBI.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2001
- Place
- Shanksville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 44 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757 · all 757s on the register
- Registration
- N591UA · no longer on the register · serial 28142
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Safety Board provided requested technical assistance to the FBI, and any material generated by the NTSB is under the control of the FBI. The Safety Board does not plan to issue a report or open a public docket.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 255,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: EWR Newark NJ
- Destination: SFO San Francisco CA
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 37 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.