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Was United Flight 93 shot down on Sept. 11?
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Saturday, January 25, 2003

Posted on 01/25/2003 1:37:56 AM PST by JohnHuang2

Echoing reports made immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, several eyewitnesses claim in a new report by London's Daily Mirror that they saw a "military-type" plane flying around United Airlines Flight 93 when the hijacked passenger jet crashed in rural Pennsylvania -- prompting the unthinkable question of whether the U.S. military shot down the plane.

Although the evident onboard struggle between hijackers and passengers – immortalized by the courageous "Let's roll" call to action by Todd Beamer – became one of the enduring memories of that disastrous day, the actual cause of Flight 93's crash, of the four hijacked jumbo jets, remains the most unclear.

The Mirror report quotes multiple residents in and around Shanksville, Pa., describing the crash as they saw it, several claiming to have seen a second plane - an unmarked military-style jet. According to the report:

The report cites other disturbing evidence at odds with the official scenario that passengers overpowered the four highjackers and forced the plane down, preventing it from crashing into a presumed high-profile intended target like the White House or the Capitol. For instance, the Mirror reports some witnesses' claims that they could see smoke and flames coming out of Flight 93 as it fell, indicating a possible onboard explosion. Far more disturbing is the question of whether a U.S. fighter pilot shot down the jumbo jet to stop its being used as a giant missile, as the other three hijacked planes had been that morning.

Of course, well founded uncertainly as to just what happened to Flight 93 is nothing new. Just three days after the worst terrorist attack in American history, on Sept. 14, 2001, The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record newspaper reported that five eyewitnesses reported seeing a second plane at the Flight 93 crash site.

"In separate interviews," reported the Record, "five residents who live and work less than four miles from the crash site said they saw a second plane flying erratically within minutes of the crash of the Boeing 757 that took off from Newark two hours earlier Tuesday morning."

One of the witnesses early on was Susan Mcelwain. Two others were Dennis Decker and Rick Chaney, who were at work making wooden pallets when they heard an explosion and came running outside to watch a large mushroom cloud spreading over the ridge.

"As soon as we looked up, we saw a mid-sized jet flying low and fast," Decker told the Record. "It appeared to make a loop or part of a circle, and then it turned fast and headed out. " Describing the plane as a Lear-jet type, with engines mounted near the tail and painted white with no identifying markings, Decker said, "If you were here to see it, you'd have no doubt. It was a jet plane, and it had to be flying real close when that 757 went down."

"If I was the FBI," he added, "I'd find out who was driving that plane."

That same day, reported the Record, FBI Special Agent William Crowley said investigators could not rule out that a second plane was nearby during the crash. He later said he had misspoken, dismissing rumors that a U.S. military jet had intercepted the plane before it could strike a target in Washington, D.C.

Although government officials insist there was never any pursuit of Flight 93, they were informed the flight was suspected of having been hijacked at 9:16 am, fully 50 minutes before the plane came down.

The Daily Mirror cites other factors bolstering the case for a possible shootdown of UA Flight 93:

'A horrendous decision'

On the Sept. 16, 2001, edition of NBC's "Meet the Press," Vice President Dick Cheney, being interviewed by Tim Russert, while not addressing Flight 93 specifically, spoke clearly to the administration's clear policy regarding shooting down hijacked jets.

"Vice President Cheney: Well, the -- I suppose the toughest decision was this question of whether or not we would intercept incoming commercial aircraft.

"Russert: And you decided?

"Cheney: We decided to do it. We'd, in effect, put a flying combat air patrol up over the city; F-16s with an AWACS, which is an airborne radar system, and tanker support so they could stay up a long time...

"It doesn't do any good to put up a combat air patrol if you don't give them instructions to act, if, in fact, they feel it's appropriate.

"Russert: So if the United States government became aware that a hijacked commercial airline[r] was destined for the White House or the Capitol, we would take the plane down?

"Cheney: Yes. The president made the decision ... that if the plane would not divert ... as a last resort, our pilots were authorized to take them out. Now, people say, you know, that's a horrendous decision to make. Well, it is. You've got an airplane full of American citizens, civilians, captured by ... terrorists, headed and are you going to, in fact, shoot it down, obviously, and kill all those Americans on board?

"... It's a presidential-level decision, and the president made, I think, exactly the right call in this case, to say, "I wished we'd had combat air patrol up over New York."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: getthetinfoil; herewegoagain; september11; tinfoilalert
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To: sweetliberty
Say it again!!!
61 posted on 01/25/2003 10:30:29 AM PST by Delta 21
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To: Bob
No Air Force plane looks anything like a Lear. None of them have their engines mounted near the tail. They're not painted white; they're gray (or rarely desert brown). They all have some identifying markings.

Yes, I have no doubt; this guy's full of sh!t.

The C-21A is a twin turbofan engine aircraft used for cargo and passenger airlift. The aircraft is the military version of the Lear Jet 35A business jet. In addition to providing cargo and passenger airlift, the aircraft is capable of transporting litters during medical evacuations.

Bob, our military has damn near every aircraft that is available to civilians lying somewhere in this world.

62 posted on 01/25/2003 12:14:01 PM PST by B4Ranch
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To: Brian Allen
HehHehHeh .......
63 posted on 01/25/2003 12:14:56 PM PST by B4Ranch
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To: Bob
I just got to #50. Yes we do have 'unmarked' aircraft. Actually the letter/numbers are just a few shades different than the fuselage color. Not meant to stand out against the fuselage.
64 posted on 01/25/2003 12:17:24 PM PST by B4Ranch
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To: JohnHuang2
Yes, local papers spoke about an civilian plane in the vicinity.

The debris was in two parts, one 5-8 miles from the other.

It had to be the saddest thing, the passengers take over just when the order was given to shootdown.

Remember the FBI agent that afternoon or the next day who said on Live TV that he'd have to get back to us on whether this was a shootdown or not. The expression on his face, the phrasing he used and the fact the story died within the next couple of days leads me to believe it was a shootdown by a civilian jet modified for missiles or even the regular air guard.

The local papers had extensive witness testimonies...particularly the Shanksville paper.
65 posted on 01/25/2003 12:26:28 PM PST by swarthyguy
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To: XBob
>>Why do we never see the tapes? Why are they never released?

What do you think? Answer is self evident, no?
66 posted on 01/25/2003 12:27:58 PM PST by swarthyguy
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To: Bob
No Air Force plane looks anything like a Lear.

Yes, there is one that I know of. A C-21, but it looks nothing like what this clown was describing. They said F-16s were sent up, and F-16s do not even remotely come close to looking like what he described. Also, a C-21 is unarmed.

67 posted on 01/25/2003 12:30:38 PM PST by Mark17
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To: Puck from Michigan
Bob.....ever seen a T-39.......how about a C-140.....The AF has lears, and planes that look like lears

As far as I know, both aircraft have been mothballed for years. I flew on a C-140 in 1986, and the Air Force only had 3 of them in the entire inventory, all assigned to AFCC, and all were ops eval aircraft.

68 posted on 01/25/2003 12:36:40 PM PST by Mark17
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To: Delta 21
I KNEW there was something fishy about Titanic! Man, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I think that 9-11 was Reichstag all over again. No doubt about it, folks, something that generates this much discussion HAS to have a government plot behind it.
69 posted on 01/25/2003 12:39:58 PM PST by CalvaryJohn
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To: Mark17
Yes, there is one that I know of. A C-21, but it looks nothing like what this clown was describing. They said F-16s were sent up, and F-16s do not even remotely come close to looking like what he described. Also, a C-21 is unarmed.

As I said in my correction (post #50), I was actually referring to Air Force fighters. Again, sorry for my mistake.

70 posted on 01/25/2003 12:50:30 PM PST by Bob (It was a lot easier when I was in the Navy. We just called 'em by their right name -- 'targets'. :=))
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To: JohnHuang2
Was United Flight 93 shot down on Sept. 11?

I believe it was......

2 reasons

1. There is evidence. 2. The government says it wasn't.

71 posted on 01/25/2003 12:57:29 PM PST by WhiteGuy
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To: Bob
As I said in my correction (post #50), I was actually referring to Air Force fighters. Again, sorry for my mistake.

LOL, roger that.

Regards.

72 posted on 01/25/2003 12:57:48 PM PST by Mark17
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To: aristeides
Maybe. But, IMHO, there will always be conspiracy theorists regardless of how truthful or dishonest the gov is or isn't. Some people are just built that way. Makes the world go 'round.
73 posted on 01/25/2003 1:56:35 PM PST by ImpBill
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To: E Rocc; Sabretooth; XBob; swarthyguy
DID ONE OF BUFFET'S JETS SHOOT DOWN FLIGHT 93?
From the AP article, August 9, 2002:
"Additional recordings would be played from the cockpit of an executive jet that tracked Flight 93 on Sept. 11, according to written proposals subject to approval by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema.
An official for NetJets, a company that sells shares in private business aircraft, confirmed that the plane tracking Flight 93 belonged to the company."
74 posted on 01/25/2003 5:19:23 PM PST by Marianne
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To: JohnHuang2
Here's an image of the crash of 93. I don't see any debris trail or anything else in the sky that would hint it being shot down. Even if it was, who cares? It *could* have been, but then again, the scummy islamics most likely saw the jig was up, went nose down.
75 posted on 01/25/2003 5:32:04 PM PST by Monty22
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To: JohnHuang2
It's no secret that a private jet was asked to circle the crash site and report what it saw. That came out a long time ago.
76 posted on 01/25/2003 5:55:50 PM PST by MattAMiller
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To: MattAMiller
It's on the tape that was released. Here is a transcript of the last part:

Cleveland: 93 go ahead.

Executive 956: Is that aircraft you’re talking about eastbound?

Cleveland: He’s just turned to the east of you, United 93 do you hear Cleveland Center? American 1060 and Executive 956, we just lost the target on that aircraft.

Executive 956: Executive 956, we had a visual on it, just stand by.

Cleveland: You have a visual on it now?

Executive 956: We did, but we lost it in the turn.

Cleveland: You can make a turn back to 220 heading, let me know if you can see him.

Executive 956: He’s still there. We’ve got him.

Cleveland: He’s still there, er, what, about 25 miles? Executive 956: Affirmative.

Cleveland: Vector 956, turning 180.

Executive 956: Er, negative turning 956, he appears to be heading right towards us.

Cleveland: American 1060 do you see anybody north-west of you, can you see back that far there?

American 1060: We’re looking now, sir.

Cleveland: United 93 Cleveland do you still hear the Center. United 93 do you still hear Cleveland. United 93, United 93 do you hear Cleveland? United 93, United 93 Cleveland. United 93, United 93 do you hear Cleveland Center?

Cleveland (2): Do you see any, ah, activity on your right side, smoke or anything like that?

American 1060: Negative. We’re searching. Yeah, we do have a smoke puff now at about, uh, oh probably two o’clock. There appears to be just a spire up like a puff of black smoke.

It's clear that both American Flight 1060 and Executive 956 were right in the area. Enough so that they could see UA93 in flight and the puff of smoke from the crash. They certainly would have reported a military aircraft in the area if they saw one. Either one of these or both could have been what the witnesses saw.

If you want to hear the original tape yourself, go here. But fair warning, you will get emotional listening to it.

77 posted on 01/25/2003 6:29:33 PM PST by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty" not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: swarthyguy
FWIW- I went to Shanksville this past September 11th, 2002. I attended the memorial ceremony at the crash site. I picked up a local newspaper while there, the "Daily American", dated Wednesday, September 12th, 2001, Somerset County's Newspaper. I decided to look at the paper after reading some of the comments here.

On page one the lead story is- America under seige, by Sandra Lepley, Daily American Staff Writer. I offer the following text of paragraphs # 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9.

The hijacking panic in the air was recorded just before the crash at 9:58 a.m. when a man said he was a passenger locked in a bathroom aboard United Flight 93 called 911 on his cell phone and repeatedly told officials the call was not a hoax.

"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.

FBI agent Wells Morrison, the special agent on scene who is handling media questions, wouldn't confirm that the plane was hijacked, but said the FBI was reviewing the tape of the 911 call.

"At this point, we're not prepared to say it was an act of terrorism, though it appears to be that," Morrison said.

78 posted on 01/25/2003 7:05:20 PM PST by freepersup (President Bush- Your leadership sustains us...)
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To: mastercylinder; MikeinIraq

I did a search also when you posted the other thread and didn't find this one. Must have been in the FR archives.


79 posted on 12/28/2004 3:33:55 AM PST by leadpenny
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