September 19, 2001, Wednesday
NATIONAL DESK
A NATION CHALLENGED: THE INVESTIGATION; Officials Say 2 More Jets May Have Been in the Plot
By DAVID JOHNSTON and JAMES RISEN (NYT) 1485 words
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 — Federal authorities said today that they were investigating the possibility that terrorists might have plotted to commandeer two more commercial flights on the day that four planes were hijacked and used in attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
Law enforcement officials said they were taking the possibility of other hijack targets seriously, based on information from several sources, including citizens’ tips and information from cooperating witnesses.
One flight under investigation is American Airlines Flight 43, which left Newark International Airport about 8:10 a.m. bound for Los Angeles; it made an emergency landing in Cincinnati after the government ordered all flights grounded.
The other flight is American Airlines Flight 1729 from Newark to San Antonio via Dallas that was scheduled to depart at 8:50 a.m. and was later forced to land at St. Louis.
Attorney General John Ashcroft acknowledged that the authorities were investigating whether other aircraft besides the four might have been targeted. But, Mr. Ashcroft added, ‘’we are not able at this time to confirm that.’’
http://www.wanttoknow.info/010919nytimes
Those turned out to not have any terrs on board.