950 acres in Pa. acquired for Flight 93 memorial

[May 30, 2009]  SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (AP) -- The National Park Service has acquired about 950 acres of land for the Flight 93 National Memorial in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Friday's announcement said it's the park service's largest single acquisition of private land for the memorial near Shanksville, about 65 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

The land includes the only road connecting U.S. highway 30 to the crash site. This will let visitors go to the memorial without driving on local roads and disturbing residents.

The crash of United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, killed 40 passengers and crew and four terrorist hijackers who were likely trying to crash it into the White House or U.S. Capitol. The 9/11 Commission report said the hijackers crashed the plane as passengers tried to wrest control of the cockpit.

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On the Net:

Flight 93 National Memorial: http://www.nps.gov/flni/

[Associated Press]

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