NEW YORK -- Passengers aboard doomed Flight 93 broke down the cockpit door with a food cart on Sept. 11, sending the hijacked airliner hurtling toward the ground in western Pennsylvania, according to a book published Tuesday.

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The book, "Among the Heroes" (HarperCollins), claims an assistant United States attorney told relatives of those aboard the flight about the use of the food cart as a battering ram when he met with them three months ago in Princeton, N.J.

The cockpit voice recording of Flight 93 has not been made public because prosecutors and other law enforcement officials believe it could still be used as evidence.

Passengers on Flight 93 had called relatives from cell phones that morning and learned from them that other hijacked airliners had already slammed into the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

After learning that, the passengers reportedly told their loved ones they planned to storm the cockpit and thwart another attack. Although the account has often been repeated as fact, officials have never publicly confirmed that passengers helped stop a fourth terrorist attack on Sept. 11.

Forty-four people, including four hijackers, were killed in the crash.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that law enforcement sources consider the food cart raid as one of the theories of what happened. But the officials said sounds heard on the cockpit voice recording are not definitive.

The book, written by Times reporter Jere Longman, said the entire struggle took about five minutes. According to the book's account, the passengers began trying to force their way into the cockpit around 9:58 a.m.

Longman writes, "More shouting: 'Roll it' and 'Pull it up' or 'Lift it up' or 'Turn up.' A final rushing sound could be heard, and about three minutes after 10, the tape went silent."

The book reports that a "final rushing sound" could be heard on the tape, which went silent around 10:03 a.m.

Click here to read a book excerpt.

Click here to review the Somerset crash site in pictures.

Previous Stories:

• July 29, 2002: 'Hearts Of Steel' Bracelets Available
• July 16, 2002: Plans Set To Mark Sept. 11 Anniversary
• July 10, 2002: House Bill Seeks Support For Flight 93 Memorial
• June 11, 2002: Flight 93 Widow Visits Sewickley School
• May 31, 2002: Giuliani Delivers Message Of Courage To Grads
• March 24, 2002: FBI: Flight 93 Relatives May Hear Tapes
• March 11, 2002: Shanksville Commemorates Crash Of Flight 93
• February 12, 2002: Buy Sept. 11 Bracelets
• December 6, 2001: Dispatcher Talks About Flight 93 Phone Call
• November 15, 2001: Flight 93 Hijacker's Voice Recordings Released
• October 11, 2001: Pilot Witnessed Flight 93's Final Moments
• September 12, 2001: Cities Knew Plane Was Coming, But Not Where