The actions of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, prove that heroism "exists inside every single one of us," Heather “Lucky” Penney says. "Not a single passenger on 93 was a service member," she told PBS News' Nick Schifrin. "They were just ordinary, everyday Americans. And yet they were willing to fight the terrorists, to seize control of the cockpit and sacrifice their lives to protect us. It proves to me that heroism isn't something unique, that that exists inside every single one of us." Twenty-five years ago, Penney was on duty as a fighter pilot in the Washington, D.C., Air National Guard. She and her wingman, then-Lt. Col. Marc Sasseville, were authorized to use lethal force to take down Flight 93 before it reached the nation's capital by ramming their jets into the civilian airliner. "It would have been a suicide mission, and neither one of us hesitated," she said. "Everyone on the base, any individual who had ever raised their right hand, would have wanted to be in that two-ship to protect our nation. It was my job." But she never had to make the ultimate sacrifice as the passengers of Flight 93 stormed the cockpit, forcing the hijacked plane to crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Penney said she is "intensely grateful" for what the passengers were willing to do. She sat down with @nickschifrin on Tuesday to discuss the events of 9/11. For the full interview: to.pbs.org/3UKF9Wv

On 9/11, the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 stormed the cockpit, forcing the hijacked jet to crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. But before the world knew of their bravery, members of Washington, D.C.’s Air National Guard were prepared to make their own sacrifice. @nickschifrin shares the story of pilot Heather "Lucky" Penney.