WJR: 4th Plane's Intended Target was Three Mile Island Nuke Facility

WJR-AM | Sept. 24, 2001 | self

[The Energizer]

WJR-AM in Detroit just reported that the intended target of the 4th plane that went down in Pennsylvania was the THREE MILE ISLAND nuclear facility.

Makes me all the more grateful to the heroes on the plane who thwarted this plan.

[HopeSprings]

I've also heard that the plane was headed for either Area 51 or Wright-Patterson (where alien bodies are stored).

[Nita Nupress]

It wouldn't have done much harm. But stupidity being so prolific, there would have been a huge panic of morons.

No kidding. That's like those stupid morons who wouldn't listen to the person on the World Trade Center intercom telling them to go back to work. Can you believe that garbage?

[chimera]

I have heard that reactors are designed to withstand a 747 impacting at full speed.

This is true. The design basis accident analysis for missile impacts bounds this case, as well as many others, such as truck bombs, tornado-driven objects (think utility poles and tree trunks), and various kinds of structure collapse (e.g., a 500 ft. cooling tower falling on the containment building). Safe shutdown must still be attained under those conditions. Nuclear plant containment buildings are probably the strongest engineered structures of their size built by man. If bad things are happening outside, probably the safest place to be would be inside the containment building.

That is not to say that major damage couldn't be inflicted on other areas of the plant. For example, destroy the switchyard and you take the plant out of service for months. Such an event would whip up the Luddites into a frenzy of irrational anti-nuclear hysteria. The long-term consequences could be energy shortages and further dependence on imported oil. Those long-term effects would likely be more harmful than the short-term effects of plant damage.

[TKEman]

Well, people should shut the hell up. I was amazed at Senator Hatch at the beginning of all this.

[kjam22]

Concrete proof that Bin Ladden attempted to set off a Nuke explosion in the U.S. would be needed justification for a first strike nuke on the Taliban and Bin Ladden.

[angkor]

TMI: Not plausible.

The Capitol was not hit on 9/11. Why not?

It is the most identifiable landmark in DC, and you can see it from 10 miles away.

The Pentagon is a relatively stupid target in comparison to the WH or the Capitol.

I maintain that the Pentagon was intended to provide a sighting to the WH, via the Washington Monument. Look at a DC map to work it out.

[ThirstyMan]

Why the heck would a talk radio station in Detroit have access to a report from Washington. Highly suspect and it smells too.

I have to agree with you.
The rumor mill can generate a host of creative evil ideas, perhaps even give the terrorists some great new ones.
If we keep this up, speaking our fears that is, we might even inspire a dull-witted wannabe future terrorist, too stupid to come up with his own creative evil plan.

[thinking]

If you draw a line from Cleveland through Somerset, PA, the line points directly at Washington...This is the track that the aircraft was flying, so, IMHO it was heading to WAshington....

[Revolting cat!]

Any that I've missed?

The Oasis tavern a few miles out of town...

[wingnuts'nbolts]

I also read that it was the Atlanta Center for Disease control.

[The Energizer]

I just left a phone message for the host of the program.

[chimera]

Was this the flight that went out of Newark? If so, they had better options than TMI. Indian Point was near their flight path and closer to NYC. They could have flown close to Limerick or Susquehanna. Beaver Valley is close to Pittsburgh (where the plane turned) and has two operable units to aim at. They could have overflown Pittsburg and continued on to Perry, just east of Cleveland. TMI would be a poor choice for a target. Come to think of it, the US Steel building in Pittsburgh would be easier to hit. This just doesn't make sense.

[The Energizer]

I don't know where the flight originated.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

"the heroes who brought down Flight 93 before it could reach whatever was its intended target"

. . . formed a miltia on a moments notice and, barehanded, accomplished they (or we, still yet) know not what. Knowing that they and the women and children aboard were essentially doomed. Minutemen, if such there ever was!

Let their renown be taught in school and celebrated on July 4th!

[lds23]

Despite the veracity of this statement, makes you wonder where the other planes were headed (I would guess more than 4 hijackings were planned). More infrastructure destruction, no doubt. Why not power grids?

[monocle]

Impact maybe. What about the ensuring fire?

[The Energizer]

Have you heard anything on this?

[lepton]

I have heard that reactors are designed to withstand a 747 impacting at full speed.

Yes. It would still take the plant off-line though.

Every once in a while the footage of them firing a test-plane into the structure is shown on TV.

[Political Junkie Too]

I think the Pentagon was hit because the pilots were inexperienced and overshot their intended target. The plane was traveling at full throttle and was not as maneuverable as they thought.

-PJ

[blam]

"(I would guess more than 4 hijackings were planned)."

I remember during the initial confusion, someone said there were eleven hijackings in progress. I think it was Ollie North who said it. Maybe inside information?