Heather Penney
| Heather Penney | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | United States Air Force pilot |
| Known for | flying a ramming mission to prevent United Airlines Flight 93 from reaching Washington DC during the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks |
Major Heather Penney is an Air Force pilot who The Washington Post reported on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 to be one of two ordered to ram and down United Airlines Flight 93 before it reached Washington, DC, during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[1]
Early life
Heather Penney was a literature major at Purdue University. Her father was retired Air Force Col. John Penney, who after retirement joined United Airlines.[2]
Career
(9/11)
Maj. Penney, who was a lieutenant at the time, was reportedly ordered into the air in her F-16 fighter jet alongside Marc H. Sasseville's aircraft at Andrews Air Force Base as the terrorist attacks were unfolding on September 11, 2001. They were ordered to down United Flight 93 before it reached Washington, DC's, airspace but because of the urgency, there was not time to outfit their aircraft with live ammunition. The mission could only have been accomplished by ramming the plane with their respective fighter jets.[3] Penney was sure her father, United Airlines pilot John Penney, was flying the plane.[4] Flight 93 subsequently crashed as passengers attempted to take control of the aircraft. This ended the mission. When asked why she was ready to fly a kamikaze mission, "Why? Because there are things in this world that are more important than ourselves. Freedom. The Constitution of the United States. Our way of life. Mom, baseball, apple pie; these things and so many more that make us uniquely American. We belong to something greater than ourselves. As complex and diverse and discordant as it is, this thing, this idea called America, binds us together in citizenship and community and brotherhood."[5]
Iraq War
She served two tours of duty in the Iraq war.[6]
Post Retirement
She currently works for Lockheed on the F-35 project.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 Hendrix, Steve (September 8, 2011). "F-16 pilot was ready to give her life on Sept. 11". Washington Post.
- ↑ Gorman, Ryan. "On 9/11, this fighter pilot was sent on a kamikaze mission to possibly kill her father". aol.com. AOL Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ↑ Durante, Thomas (September 10, 2011). "I'd be a kamikaze pilot: Fighter pilot recalls her would-be 'suicide' mission to take down United 93 - and the heroes who did it for her". DailyMail.
- ↑ Christenson, Sig. "Air Force chief touts history of brave airmen". expressnews.com. San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ↑ Penney, Heather. "Heather Penney, the 9/11 fighter pilot, says celebrating normalcy is a way to honor heroes". washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ↑ Cummings, Tommy. "Air Force pilot ordered to take down Flight 93 to speak at Rep. Johnson's veterans ceremony". dallasnews.com. The Dallas Morning News Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2015.