Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 15:42:01 -0400
To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
From: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
Subject: Flight 93 Questions
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 03:53:19 -0400 To: Ian@Goddard.net From: Ian Goddard <Ian@Goddard.net> Subject: Flight 93 Questions

WAS UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93 SHOT DOWN BY U.S. FIGHTER?

(c) 9/14/01 Ian Williams Goddard

Yesterday (9/13/01) a Reuters report stated that the FBI cannot rule out that hijacked Flight 93 was shot down by a US fighter jet before it crashed in Pennsylvania. [1] Citing indications of a shoot down, the report states:

"Pennsylvania state police officials said on Thursday debris from the plane had been found up to 8 miles away [from the crash site] in a residential community where local media have quoted residents as speaking of a second plane in the area and burning debris falling from the sky."

Finding debris miles from the crash site indicates that the aircraft was disintegrating well before it hit the ground, as would be the case if the other plane witnesses saw shot it down. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the debris found miles from the crash site included "clothing, books, papers and what appeared to be human remains." [2] The secretary of defense says Flight 93 was not shot down.[3]

While major media have widely reported that a frantic 911 call was made from Flight 93 stating "We are being hijacked, We are being hijacked," a local Pennsylvania paper reports that the passenger also reported hearing an explosion and seeing smoke coming from the plane, consistent with a shoot down. As the Somerest, PA paper The Daily American states:

"[A] passenger locked in a bathroom aboard United Flight 93 called the 911 ... 'We are being hijacked, we are being hijacked!' dispatch supervisor Glenn Cramer from Westmoreland County quoted the man from a transcript of the call. The man told dispatchers the plane 'was going down. He heard some sort of explosion and saw white smoke coming from the plane and we lost contact with him,' Cramer said." [4]

So we have (1) witness accounts of a second plane in the area, (2) burning debris falling, (3) debris falling up to 8 miles from the crash site, (4) human remains falling miles from the crash site, and (5) reports from a passenger that an explosion was heard near the plane and white smoke was coming from the plane. Do these facts support early reports that Flight 93 was shot down by a US fighter jet? Could the the terrorists have smuggled in and detonated a bomb? At the least these facts appear to be inconsistent with the leading scenario being played in the media that the plane crashed as a result of a struggle for control on board the doomed flight.

Assuming the aircraft was shot down, under the circumstances -- other hijackers reasonably connected to the hijackers on Flight 93 using other jets to cause massive casualties on the ground -- it would be difficult to define the act unethical. Indeed, it would have arguably been an heroic act. However, the wrong would be lying to the public about what happened.


[1] Reuters: FBI Cannot Rule Out Shootdown of Penn. Plane. By David Morgan. September 13, 2001. http://us.news2.yimg.com/f/42/31/7m/dailynews.yahoo.com/ h/nm/20010913/ts/attack_pennsylvania_dc_4.html

[2] Pittsburg Post-Gazette: Investigators locate 'black box' from Flight 93; widen search area in Somerset crash. By T. Gibb, J. O'Toole, C. Lash. September 13, 2001. http://post-gazette.com/headlines/20010913somersetp3.asp

[3] Pittsburg Post-Gazette: Somerset crash scene searched; 'hero' may have aborted terror mission. By T. Gibb, C. Lash J. O'Toole. September 12, 2001. Can't reaquire URL via search.

[4] Daily American: International terror touches Somerset County. By Sandra Lepley. http://www.dailyamerican.com/disaster.html


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