September 11th terrorist attack: Four hijacked commercial airplanes crash in USA (Manhattan, Washington et Shanksville) making 2 977 fatalities -
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On September 11th, 2001, four planes operating passenger flights were hijacked and intended to be crashed against American buildings. 3 of them hit their target killing all people onboard and a lot on ground, the last plane crashed in a desert area killing all people onboard. This section present a short story of September 11th attacks that killed 2985 people.
The attacks began with the hijacking of four commercial airliners that took of from East America, and fueled for flights to California. With jet fuel capacities of nearly 24,000 U.S. gallons (91,000 L), each aircraft effectively became an incendiary guided missile.
1 - American Airlines Flight 11
Flight AA11 path
American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767-223ER on a passenger flight from Logan International Airport in East Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport (Boston-Los Angeles route), crashed into the north side of the North Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC) at 8:46:30 a.m. local time (which was Eastern Daylight Time, or 12:46:30 UTC), killing all 92 people onboard. It was the first plane to crash in the attacks.
2 - United Airlines Flight 175
Flight UA175 path
United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767-222 on a passenger flight from from Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California (Boston-Los Angeles route), crashed into the South Tower at 9:02:59 a.m. local time (13:02:59 UTC), an event covered live by television broadcasters from around the world who had their cameras trained on the buildings after the earlier crash. All the 65 people onboard were killed.
3 - American Airlines Flight 77
Flight AA77 path
American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757-223 on a passenger flight from Washington Dulles International Airport in Fairfax, Virginia, to Los Angeles International Airport, crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37:46 a.m. local time (13:37:46 UTC). All the 64 people onboard were killed.
4 - United Airlines Flight 93
Flight UA93 path
United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757-222 on a passenger flight from Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco International Airport, crashed in a field in southwest Pennsylvania just outside of Shanksville, about 150 miles (240 km) northwest of Washington, D.C., at 10:03:11 a.m. local time (14:03:11 UTC), with parts and debris found up to eight miles away. The crash in Pennsylvania is believed to have resulted from the hijackers either deliberately crashing the aircraft or losing control of it as they fought with the passengers. All the 44 people onboard were killed.
A total of 2985 people were killed, including 265 on the four planes, 2595 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon.
In addition to the 110-floor Twin Towers of the World Trade Center itself, five other buildings at the World Trade Center site, including 7 World Trade Center and the Marriott Hotel, and four New York City Subway stations were destroyed or badly damaged. In total, on Manhattan Island, 25 buildings were damaged and all seven buildings of the World Trade Center Complex had to be razed. Later, an eighth building, the Deutsche Bank Building across Liberty Street from the World Trade Center complex had to be demolished as well, due to the uninhabitable, toxic conditions inside the office tower. Communications equipment such as broadcast radio, television and two-way radio antenna towers were damaged beyond repair. In Arlington County, a portion of the Pentagon was severely damaged by fire and one section of the building collapsed.
The hijackers reportedly took control of the aircraft by using box-cutter knives to kill flight attendants and at least one pilot or passenger. The 9/11 Commission could only establish that two of the hijackers had recently purchased Leatherman multi-function hand tools, but some form of noxious chemical spray, such as tear gas or pepper spray, was reported to have been used on American 11 and United 175 to keep passengers out of the first-class cabin. Bomb threats were made on three of the aircraft, but not on American 77. According to the Commission Report the bombs were probably fake.
In the fourth airplane, black box recordings reportedly revealed that, after discovering on their phones that planes had been deliberately crashed into buildings, crew and passengers attempted to seize control of the plane from the hijackers, who then rocked the plane in a failed attempt to subdue the passengers. Soon afterward, the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The 9/11 Panel reports that captured an al-Qaeda leader said that Flight 93's target was the United States Capitol, which was given the code name "the Faculty of Law."
The United States government determined (in part based on classified information) that al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden bear responsibility for the attacks.
Video of the crash of the first plane (American Airlines Flight 11) into the North tower of the World Trade Center
Several videos of the crash of the second plane (United Airlines Flight 175) into the South tower of the World Trade Center
Video recorded by a Pentagon security camera, showing the crash of the American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon
Washington, D.C, USA (Red dot on map)