# The WTC Rumor mill has started... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 11, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900 "2001-09-11T19:22:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/1 "2001-09-11T19:22:45Z")
Don’t panic… I am chatting with a friend who is, at this moment, chatting with a friend of her’s who is a cop in NY. He just finished telling her that the plane that crashed over PA was actually shot down by F14’s. I told her that there is no way that could be true as there would be a huge public outcry, but her NYPD-Dude sticks to his story. (Clames that as it was hijack and ‘headig to Washington’, it had to be shot down.) Has anyone else heard this nonsence??? (He also mentioned a 5th plane that went down in Shankville…but CNN still says 4 planes.) ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/2 "2001-09-11T19:30:56Z")
The news did report this as a “possibility”. There was supposedly an eyewitness on the ground that said they saw an aircraft in flames being chased by two fighters, but I haven’t seen any real confirmation. Even if it’s true (which I don’t believe), I cannot imagine our government ever owning up to it, so it will never be “proven” true. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/3 "2001-09-11T19:33:49Z")
Is it so far fetched? Why didn’t this plane hit its target like the other three? (devil’s advocate hat off) ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/4 "2001-09-11T19:38:17Z")
To what end? Ok, so it’s been hijacked? So what? Look at all the people on that plane? Why are they not shooting down the hijack plane that is over Alaska. It is presently being escoted to Whitehorse in Canada? [Devil’s Advocate’s Advocate hat off.] This is something that the US Military would NEVER do. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/5 "2001-09-11T19:41:31Z")
Sorry for my spelling mistakes…this whole situation is very (flustering.) ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/6 "2001-09-11T19:42:16Z")
Hate to say it, but I heard that this was a possibility even before this particular crash ocurred. No, I don’t have a cite, I can’t remember who said it, and I’m not up to asking around the people here at work to find out… but I did hear this idea before the PA crash. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/7 "2001-09-11T19:51:23Z")
While I don’t think it has actually happened, it certainly seems like it could have. Right after the news reported the plane down in PA, I was on the phone with a freind in DC who could see the F-16 sorties being flown from Andrews. My first thought was that they shot the airliner down over a deserted area to save lives. It seems like the right call to me. ---
**Author:** ![Servo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Servo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Servo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/8 "2001-09-11T19:52:17Z")
What I gather, [and I have absolutely nothing to back this up] is that the hijackers attempted to gain control of the plane but failed. Something like a struggle in the cockpit. And that’s what caused the plain to come down. ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/9 "2001-09-11T19:53:17Z")
Why is this nonsense? If the plane is hijacked, it needs to be shot down. Yes, there are people on it. yes, thats unfortunate. But if they cant talk it down by radio, it needs to be shot down. Always? No. But on the day when terrorist air activity is extreme enough to close all airports and ground all aircraft immediately, any aircraft still flying must be presumed to have nefarious intent. Whatever’s unidentified in the sky comes down today. Period. This is not play time. It’s the real thing. Would you not be more concerned if we just let planes fly around, ignoring orders, this morning? ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/10 "2001-09-11T19:55:48Z")
I dunno if the government will fess up to it, though. They had to weigh in on which would be more reasonable, shooting it down and killing the people on it or letting it cause more carnage in NY and have the people on it die anyway. It’s not a hard decision on a day like this. ---
**Author:** ![k.os](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@k.os](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k.os)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/11 "2001-09-11T20:31:23Z")
The US gvt just officially denied shooting down the fourth civilian plane. They did not give any explanation as to why this plane went down, so their answer seems like a knee-jerk response. After all, the gvt couldn’t possibly admit to killing innocents, even if it was to save a lot more lives. I mean, how would it look to the public opinion? It seems likely to me that USAF did what they had to do and saved many lives, but the public couldn’t deal with their own airforce dstroying this plane, even if this was the only possible solution. A very sad day indeed. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/12 "2001-09-11T20:44:16Z")
Well, the rumor I have to contribute was that a passenger in the bathroom on that plane was able to place a cell phone call to tell officials they were being hijacked. Then there was a big boom. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/13 "2001-09-11T20:51:56Z")
I heard that that plane was headed for Camp David. Of course, Bush was in Fla., but that doesn’t discount that possibility. Source is the MB at [http://www.weather.com](http://www.weather.com), forum: Tropical Storms. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/14 "2001-09-11T20:55:36Z")
**barbitu8** , the Press Association is reporting the same story ( at [http://www.ananova.com](http://www.ananova.com) ) ---
**Author:** ![CanadianSue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/15 "2001-09-11T21:28:28Z")
We heard on the news that the “fourth plane was no longer considered a threat” just prior to hearing about that crash. I believe it was shot down, and it had to be. They had absolutely no choice. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/16 "2001-09-11T21:38:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > \*\*Well, the rumor I have to contribute was that a passenger in the bathroom on that plane was able to place a cell phone call to tell officials they were being hijacked. Then there was a big boom. \*\* I heard the same thing on CNN. CNN also just reported that a wife of one of their reporters called her hubby and said the same thing…she was the cut off. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/17 "2001-09-11T21:39:33Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Maximum Override \* \*\* > [@](#): > > CNN also just reported that a wife of one of their reporters called her hubby and said the same thing…she was the cut off. \*\* Barbara Olsen was her name. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/18 "2001-09-11T21:43:53Z")
CBS reports Barbara Olson (political analyst and pundit, wife of US Solicitor General-I think that’s the titile) was on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. Dan Rather says she called her husband to tell him the plane was being hijacked and then the line went dead. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/19 "2001-09-11T21:55:09Z")
The as-yet-unsubstantiated version of this story that I heard was that the caller reported “smoke” coming out of the wings, which ground people think might be fuel being dumped. The way I interpret this, there’s a chance the pilot figured out what was going on and emptied the tanks and managed to ditch the plane rather than let it get all the way to Washington D.C. (its apparent target). Obviously, it’ll be hours or even days before this story gets fully explained, but if it turns out to be the above, the pilot’s a hero. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900/20 "2001-09-11T22:04:44Z")
You may remember Theodore Olson as the guy arguing Bush’s case before the Supreme Court back in December. He is now the Solicitor General of the US, which means that he is in charge of presenting the US’s case in court. His wife was apparently on the hijacked plane and called him from the bathroom, reporting that the plane was headed for Camp David. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-rumor-mill-has-started/80900.md?page=2)