Slashdot Mirror
World Trade Towers and Pentagon Attacked
The World Trade Towers in new york were crashed into by 2 planes, one on each tower, 18 minutes apart. Nobody really knows who did it, but the planes were big ones. Normally I wouldn't consider posting this on Slashdot, but I'm making an exception this time because I can't get news through any of the conventional websites, and I assume I'm not alone. Update We're having server problems. Sorry. Updated info, both towers havecollapsed, pentagon hit by 3rd plane. Part of it has collapsed.
apologies to cnn for ripping this off their site:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- What appeared to be two passenger planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan on Tuesday, leaving both towers in flames.
About 18 minutes after the first plane hit the northern tower, a second plane slammed into the southern tower, erupting into a huge fireball. The harrowing images were caught in live video.
Live pictures showed a gaping hole on the side of the northern building, several stories down from the top. Black smoke was billowing from at least two sides.
The second crash hit the second tower several stories lower than the first in a huge burst of flame.
Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, was in an office near the World Trade Center towers at the time of the first crash. He witnessed the crash.
"It was a jet, looked like a two-engine jet," Murtagh said. "It looked like maybe a 737."
Murtagh said he saw the plane "teetering back and forth, wingtip to wingtip" before the plane smashed into the side of the building.
Jeanne Yurman witnessed the explosion that followed the crash.
"At first it was like leaflets," she said, describing the debris that fell to the ground. "There was tons of debris and it continues to fall out."
Yurman said she did not see the plane.
--
Rare Window - free your photos
Ok this is what I know:
8:55 one Plane or missile hits tower
9:05 secone 727 Passanger plane hits tower
Eye witnessess are pretty sure the first one was a plane, but some believe they saw a missile.
2nd crash caught on tape because news crews came to cover 1st crash.
Not sure if it is navigational error or deliberate attacks.
All I know, and could be erronous - everything is the first hour into an event like this
Planes Crash Into World Trade Center
NEW YORK - An aircraft crashed into the upper floors of one of the World Trade Center towers Tuesday morning, and black smoke poured out of two gaping holes, witnesses said. Shortly afterward a second explosion rocked the other tower.
There was no immediate word on injuries or fatalities in the disaster, which happened shortly before 9 a.m.
The plane was coming in low and ... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
Large holes were visible in two sides of the 110-story building, one of landmark twin towers.
There was no immediate word on injuries or fatalities in the twin disasters, which happened shortly before 9 a.m. and then right around 9 a.m.
The towers were struck by bombers in February 1993.
"The plane was coming in low and ... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.
Large holes were visible in sides of the 110-story buildings, landmark twin towers.
The tops of the twin towers were obscured by the smoke.
Thousands of pieces of what appeared to be office paper came drifting over Brooklyn, about three miles from the tower, one witness said.
The center bombingon Feb. 26, 1993, killing six people and injured more than 1,000 others.
In 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25, a twin-engine bomber, crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building in dense fog.
Two planes have smashed into the World Trade Centre towers in New York and a third into the Pentagon in what is being described as the worst terrorist attack in history.
Both the 1,360-ft towers have now collapsed. More than 50,000 people work in the complex.
There are also reports of an explosion at Capitol Hill and of a fourth hijacked aircraft heading towards Washington.
A separate fire forced the evacuation of the White House.
Reports are coming in that another large plane has crashed south of Pittsburgh.
Hijack
It is reported two United Airlines passenger planes were hijacked shortly before the first plane struck the Trade Centre in Manhattan.
One was thought to be a 737 capable of carrying more than 100 passengers. The other was confirmed as an American flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles. A Boeing 767 can carry up to 269 people.
A third plane has slammed into the Pentagon just outside Washington DC parts of the complex collapsed after fire engulfed the building. Much of the complex is in flames.
Gaping hole
The first plane smashed into the top stories of one of the Trade Centre's towers, leaving two gaping holes in the side.
Minutes later another aircraft approached, turned in the air and crashed into the lower storeys of the second tower - the footage was seen live on TV stations around the world.
The second explosion engulfed several floors.
A person who answered the phone on the trading floor at interdealer-broker Cantor Fitzgerald, located near the top of the World Trade Center, said: "We're f***ing dying," then hung up. There was screaming and yelling in the background. A follow up call was not answered.
"This has got to be one of the most horrendous terrorist attacks perhaps ever perpetrated," terrorism expert Chris Yates told Sky News.
Flights grounded
At least 1,000 people have been reported injured. The 110-storey towers are in lower Manhattan.
All flights to the US have been diverted to Canada. All flights in the US have been grounded. Telephone lines to New York are all down.
President Bush was in Florida at the time of the attacks but is now returning to Washington.
More follows .
Last Modified: 15:44 UK, Tuesday September 11, 2001
All major downtown cities are being evacuated. All federal buildings across the country are also being cleared. The president is heading toward a secret destination with a squadron of fighter jets as an escort.
Both Trade Center buildings have totally collapsed. A plan has hit the pentagon building.
The FAA is reporting that SEVERAL planes are unaccounted for. No word on how many of those might be hijacked or their destination, although one Trans-atlantic flight is reportedly headed for Washington,DC. As a result, fighter jets are currently flying cover over the city as everyone evacuates.
No other word so far.
Natural != (nontoxic || beneficial)
Although FAA has grounded all flights, many (**) are past the point of no return coming from Europe (Schiphol, DeGaulle, Heathrow, et al), South America, or Asia... while others (=) have turned back.
_ tracker_home.xsl
Trackable here, with maps, direction, and air speed:
http://www.flightexplorer.com/FastTrack.asp
Track a random flight, or select one of particular interest.
Reports just gathered on random flights:
Continental express #4804 from GWB Intercon to Jackson Inter ETA 14:42 UTC
** American #14 from Brussels to JFK, ETA 18:28 UTC
American Airlines #2401 Dallas to Phoenix ETA 14:40 UTC
** United #26 Schiphol to Newark ETA 18:22 UTC
Delta #368 Seattle to Seattle ETA 14:34 UTC, turned back
** Air France #378 De Gaulle to Philadelphia ETA 16:17 UTC
** American #936 Simon Bolivar to Miami ETA 15:38 UTC
Northwest #1019 George Bush to Memphis ETA 14:54 UTC
Southwest airlines Kansas city to Will Rogers ETA 14:18 UTC
Southwest airlines Indianapolis to Albuquerque ETA 14:44 UTC
** Telford Aviation #106 Heathrow to General Edward Lawrence ETA 17:42 UTC
** Continental #37 Dusseldorf to Newark ETA 18:08 UTC
= Chataqua #4758 Gatwick to Orlando, has turned back
** Northwest Airlines #12 Tokyo Intl to Detroit ETA 19:14 UTC
Northwest Airlines #1843 Buffalo to Minneapolis ETA 15:13 UTC
** American #83 Frankfurt to Chicago ETA 18:33
= Delta #127 Barajas to JFK at 16:32 , has turned north
** Virgin Atlantic #27 Gatwick to Orlando ETA 18:32
= Delta #11 Gatwick to Atlanta ETA 19:33 UTC, now turned west
Flight International Jacksonville, Jacksonville circling.
** Delta #1852 Schiphol to GWBush ETA 18:14 UTC
** American Eagle #622 Frankfurt to Dallas ETA 19:53 UTC
Air Canada #993 from Toronto, turned back to Toronto
= Delta #1581 Heathrow to ? now turned north to Toronto ETA 14:17 UTC
= Unknown #LU Gatwick to BWI at 19:33 UTC, now turned back Northeast
= US Air #2296 Luis Munoz to Philadelphia ETA 16:06 UTC, now turned back south
Note that some flights may not have sufficient fuel to turn back or divert -- perhaps those from the Far East, Africa, or the Middle East are the most likely to need to land in the US.
Other options:
http://www.trip.com/trs/trip/flighttracker/flight
GS http://www.unblinking.com/