[sheik yerbouty]

586mph=871fps; about the speed of a 45ACP round at the muzzle.

[Straight Vermonter]

Regading why the second tower fell first, there was some talk on FR months ago about how the tower design engineers never anticipated simultaneous fires. The fire control system in the first tower was able to, at least partially, contain the fires for a time. When the second plane hit and the sprinkler system came on there was too little water in either tower to make any difference.

[Vinomori]

cAN WE FINE THEIR FAMILIES OR ESTATES FOR THEIR HAVING EXCEEDING fEDERAL REGULATIONS FOR SPEED?

[VOA]

bump

[Harrison Bergeron]

"The south tower was hit between the 78th and 84th floors, while the north tower was struck between the 94th and 99th floors, meaning more weight bore down on the damaged floors in the south tower...

No matter how fast the planes were travelling, both buildings withstood the impacts. The weight of the structure above the melting steel on the damaged floors determined the timing of the pancaking collapse.

WTC Collapse Engineering Report (PDF Powerpoint Presentation)

[Young Rhino]

At this point, I'm more concerned with the assorted projectiles that enter bin Laden and his buddies - preferably slow and excruciatingly painful.

[n.y.muggs]

Studies show that both planes were traveling well over federal limits for altitudes below 10,000 ft.

Amazing observation, I wonder if anyone actually thought that these terrorist cowards cared about federal speed limits below 10,000 ft. For that matter I'm sure the speed limit is even lower in the city..

Were these studies even needed. A speeding jumbo jet, full of highly flammable fuel crashed into a very tall structure. The structure collaspes. Killing 1000's of innocent victims.

No need to waste taxpayer money on dueling studies.

[LJLucido]

Studies show that both planes were traveling well over the federal limits for altitudes below 10,000 feet, The Times said.

That settles it. We'll have to lower the speed limit for airliners travelling below 10,000 feet over populated areas.

[Timesink]

The second plane was flying so fast that it was in danger of breaking up in the air as it approached the south tower.

Boy, would I have loved to have seen that. Their own psychotic jihad mindset almost got them killed before they achieved their objective. Freaks.

Of course, if it HAD broken up in the air just before hitting the south tower, FR would have been overrun by "the US government did it"/"TWA 800! TWA 800!" conspiracy theories, so maybe it's better that it happened the way it did. (Factoring out the human deaths, of course.)

[RedBloodedAmerican]

The second plane was flying so fast that it was in danger of breaking up in the air as it approached the south tower, Boeing spokeswoman Liz Verdier told the Times

I would like to see the exact quote she gave and info from Boeing Engineering before I believed this one.