If that's the case, not admitting they shot it down doesn't seem to serve a purpose.
I think if the idea that hijackers blew up or damaged a plane is bad, the idea that a military shot it down is worse.
Passengers would know, if hijacked, they are already as good as dead.
Confessing military involvement in a deliberate civilian shootdown would be a very difficult thing for any government to do.
. . . . Ping to # 288.
This is the new normal. It used to be if you were hijacked, the worse that could happen would be you get stuck in Pittsburgh or El Paso a few hours. Now, you can die. 9/11 changed that.