Families of Flight 93 tell Congress that 9/11 memorial planned for Pennsylvania is on track

Families of Flight 93 say Pa. memorial is on track

WASHINGTON — Families of those who died on United Airlines Flight 93 told lawmakers Thursday that plans for a 9/11 memorial at the crash site in Pennsylvania are on track.

The memorial’s first phase should open on the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, the group Families of Flight 93 told a House committee.

“Though we have made great progress, continued federal support is vital to ensuring we remain on track and reach that goal,” said the group’s president, Gordon Felt.

Felt’s brother, Edward Felt, was one of the 40 passengers and crew who died when the plane crashed into a field near rural Shanksville, about 65 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.

A groundbreaking ceremony for a National Park Service memorial at the crash site was held last November.

Families of Flight 93 is seeking $3 million as the latest installment in federal spending on the project. Congress has already provided $10.3 million.

Rep. James Moran, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee over the Interior Department, supported the group’s request. “It’s the right thing to do,” Moran, D-Va., said.

The initial phase represents most of the memorial’s expense and will cost an estimated $58 million. More than 57,000 donors have given more than $17 million, Felt said, putting the group on target to meet its goal of raising $30 million of the cost from private donors.

Flight 93 was traveling from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco when hijackers took it over, apparently with the goal of crashing into the White House or Capitol. The passengers fought back, and the terrorists crashed the plane into a field instead.

“The memorial will be a place for individuals to learn about the events of September 11th and to find meaning and inspiration from the experience,” Felt said.

The park will be nearly 3 1/2 square miles, with a chapel at its entrance featuring 40 chimes symbolizing each of the victims.