FBI: Flight 93 passenger were in 'fight for their lives'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The passengers on board the hijacked jet that crashed in western Pennsylvania "engaged in a fight for their lives" against the suspected terrorists who seized the plane, an FBI deputy director told a House panel Wednesday.

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"With respect to the United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania, I can confirm that the passengers engaged in a fight for their lives with their four hijackers and, most likely as a result of their efforts, saved the lives of unknown individuals on the ground," said Tim Caruso, deputy assistant director for counterterrorism.

Caruso's comments were the most explicit about what has long been described as the heroics of the passengers on board the doomed flight, one of four hijacked on September 11. Phone calls some of the passengers made to people on the ground indicated they had decided to try to regain control of the aircraft.

Three other jets crashed into buildings -- two into the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York and one into the Pentagon -- and authorities believe the hijackers aboard Flight 93 may have wanted to crash the jet into either the White House or the Capitol.

Speaking at a House hearing on homeland security, Caruso also made reference to comments by Attorney General John Ashcroft over the weekend that another terrorist attack was possible.

"The FBI has no specific threat information," Caruso said. "However, threat levels remain high. And we are vigilant in our efforts to determine whether there is a specific target. There is an enormous amount of intelligence being gathered. But again, we have no specific threat information of another attack."