[Maximum Leader]

What are the civilian designations of the C-21 and C-38?

The details of this article a bit confusing. The only combat aircraft with rear engines is an A-10... and though they fly low, you couldn't get it to be go supersonic unless you strapped it to a Saturn V rocket.

This all begs the question, why would the government lie about a shootdown when (as someone mentioned above), there are too many potential eyewitnesses to contradict the story?

[Aaron_A]

The C-38 is an Astra SPX business jet.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/c-38.htm

The C-21 is a military version of the Learjet 35A.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/c-21.htm

[bigunreal]

I can't believe you think the government wouldn't lie about shooting down a civilian aircraft. Where have you been the past 50 years or so? Our leaders lie so naturally that it probably is impossible for most of them to tell the truth, even when it would be in their best interests to do so. The government-and by that, I mean its constantly corrupt and incompetent leadership-cannot be trusted about anything, and I certainly don't trust its official story about one of the most significant events in American history.