PITTSBURGH -- The voice of the lead hijacker on the plane that crashed in Somerset County can be heard on cockpit voice recordings released Thursday.
Air traffic controllers in Cleveland knew about the first two hijackings, but still could hardly believe what they hearing from United Flight 93.
The hijackers attempted to give a message to the passengers, but instead transmitted their message to air traffic control.
Hijacker: "Ladies and gentlemen, here it's the captain. Please sit down. Keep remaining sitting. We have a bomb aboard."
Upon hearing the muffled message of a bomb on board the plane, controllers attempted to contact the plane 19 times. Pilots of other planes in the area also heard the mention of a bomb on board.
Controller: "Uh, calling Cleveland Center, uh, you're unreadable. Say again standby."
Executive Jet 956 pilot: "Center, did you hear the transmission where the airplane just said he had a bomb on board? ... It sounded like someone said they had a bomb aboard."
Controller" "That's what we thought. We just didn't get it clear."
Controllers attempted to contact the plane 19 times as it turned its course away from Cleveland and headed toward Pittsburgh. It received no response.
Click on the link above to hear a portion of the tape. You can also hear more of the report on PrimeTime Thursday tonight at 10 p.m.
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