MUMBAI: As the fourth anniversary of 9/11 draws near Discovery has announced that it will air a two-hour special programme The Flight That Fought Back.

The special will chronicle the heroism of the 33 passengers and seven crew members on United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked, re-routed toward Washington, D.C., and crashed in Pennsylvania.

 
The special airs on 11 September at 8 pm. The special is a minute-by-minute retelling of the plane’s final moments as those on board fought to regain control of the aircraft. This dramatic documentary was developed with unprecedented cooperation from United Airlines and access to the families and friends of those on board.

 
The special is based on research, comprehensive evidence including the 9/11 Commission Report and actual voice recordings left by passengers and crew. Discovery states that the special uses the best possible evidence available to recreate the struggle inside Flight 93, including extensive interviews with family and friends and their very personal conjectures on how their loved ones would have reacted to the situation. The film enables viewers to better understand the events of that fateful morning and provides a deeper appreciation of the remarkable men and women aboard the plane.

Discovery Networks India brand director Raja Balasubramaniam says, "The special uses the research available to chronicle how 40 strangers determined the terrorists’ scheme and devised an action plan to counter their deadly plot - in just 30 minutes. The majority of this documentary’s content is based on personal stories from family members and direct witnesses, with dramatic reconstructions of the moments leading up to the crash”.

Discovery commissioned the London-based production company Brook Lapping Productions (BLP) to research and present the story.