[AntiGuv]

Well, if I were trying to get a jetliner close enough to an aircraft carrier to crash it then I would charter a plane, submit a flight plan that would take it over the carrier, follow the flight plan until I'm overhead or close to it, and then just dive into the carrier at maximum velocity.

[HitmanLV]

Sounds good to me. I still think that's a pretty tall order for Air Al Queda.

[USNBandit]

There are a couple reasons a carrier will be hard to target, unless it is in port.
1. As a pilot, I never found the ship where it was supposed to be for the recovery.
2. No matter how good the weather is in an area of ocean the ship finds the only squall and drives straight into it.

[xrp]

Well, if I were trying to get a jetliner close enough to an aircraft carrier to crash it then I would charter a plane, submit a flight plan that would take it over the carrier, follow the flight plan until I'm overhead or close to it, and then just dive into the carrier at maximum velocity. The carrier doesn't sit still. The carrier's combat air patrol doesn't like other aircraft getting too close to its carrier. The carrier is escorted by Aegis cruisers and destroyers that are packed with a few dozen surface-to-air missile each. The carrier and escort radar can pick up an air intruder about 100 miles away. The carrier's airborne early warning radar (Hawkeyes) can spot an air intruder up to 250 miles away.

A carrier at sea would be very, VERY hard to get an approach on.

[js1138]

...submit a flight plan that would take it over the carrier...

That would be your weakest link.

[banjo joe]

submit a flight plan that would take it over the carrier, follow the flight plan until I'm overhead or close to it, and then just dive into

Wouldn't happen. They don't let air traffic over TG's.

[Poohbah]

Well, if I were trying to get a jetliner close enough to an aircraft carrier to crash it then I would charter a plane, submit a flight plan that would take it over the carrier, follow the flight plan until I'm overhead or close to it, and then just dive into the carrier at maximum velocity.

Uh-oh: there's a problem.

You got to where the carrier was supposed to be: nothing but water down there.

Ships can move. They can even move without telling you where they're going.