Pilot Reports 'Missile' Fired at Jetliner Near LAX (11/28/05) (Media finally reports)

NewsRadio 1060 Philadelphia ^ | December 2, 2005

[Babu]

FBI agents and Homeland Security officials spent the weekend investigating the report of a possible missile fired at an American Airlines plane taking off from Los Angeles International Airport.

Sources tell ABC News the pilot of American Airlines Flight 621, en route to Chicago, radioed air traffic controllers after takeoff from LAX. He told them a missile had been fired at the aircraft and missed.

The plane was over water when the pilot said he saw a smoke trail pass by the cockpit.

FBI agents believe it was a flare or a bottle rocket, but say they may never know if that's what it actually was.

[Babu]

Story previously on Free Republic on 11/29 here, now finally picked up by media

[yldstrk]

It was NOT a bottle rocket; you can't make me believe that lad of steaming caca.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Here ya go!

[Roverman2K]

Agreed, not over the water and not that high.

[narby]

FBI agents believe it was a flare or a bottle rocket, but say they may never know if that's what it actually was.

I'm intimately familiar with that piece of airspace, and there's no way this was a bottle rocket. Aircraft pass over that beach *at least* 500 feet up, I know, because I used to fly along the beach underneath them when they passed overhead in the offshore "helicopter route" at 150 feet.

The article in the link claims they were 6000 feet up, and that sounds much more reasonable. And also much higher than even a flare would get.

[the invisib1e hand]

seems like the worms are coming out again. a note in one jet..a missle fired at another... this is there MO, right, to "test" or screw with us before they attack again?

[scott7278]

Put on your seatbelts, and remain in your seats...this may be a wild ride.

[nuconvert]

A bottle rocket at 6,000 ft? I doubt that.

[Paul_Denton]

FBI agents believe it was a flare or a bottle rocket, but say they may never know if that's what it actually was.

The FBI might as well admit it was a SAM. The 'bottle rocket' strory is something no one would belive. I never heard of a flare that can go up to 6000 feet (as reported in the previous thread) either.

[YouPosting2Me]

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[gathersnomoss]

"FBI agents believe it was a flare or a bottle rocket, but say they may never know if that's what it actually was."

The FBI would have to roll out the tried and true "shorted wiring" if that dastardly bottle rocket had somehow made it's way, up about 6,000 feet, into the fuel tank. What genius...and the MSM does a Lewinski...hook, line and sinker.

[JustAnotherOkie]

Sure it could be, use one of Ted Kennedy's Magnum Scotch bottles and you could launch a Delta V.

[js1138]

Just curious. What altitude do professional pyrotechnics reach? Amateur rockets can reach a mile, but they would not be leaving a trail at their maximum altitude.

[gathersnomoss]

"The FBI might as well admit it was a SAM."

Snowball, meet hell.

[TexasCajun]

That AA flight was lucky it didn't explode at that exact moment due to faulty fuselage wiring.

What? It happened before, we're told.

[steve86]

I have no respect for a government or justice department that tells lies, especially if they rationalize that saving business is more important than saving lives.

[RogerWilko]

I think someone already posted that article here:

Missile

But I found a NEW article right here:

SAM

[Jigsaw John]

Bottle rockets and flares shot from flare guns, generally only reach about 500 feet or so. They are not even an issue here.

[FenderMan]

Another flying center tank!!

[flutters]

bttt

I'm glad this is finally reported in print.