# Why no challenge to 9/11 cell phone story? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422 "2006-01-31T22:38:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Star\_Wars\_Holiday\_Special](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Star\_Wars\_Holiday\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Star_Wars_Holiday_Special)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/1 "2006-01-31T22:38:20Z")
Hello, I don’t know if this has been asked before, but why hasn’t anyone challenged the official story of the September 11 attacks regarding the cell phone calls? I just don’t buy it and I’ll tell you why: today I took a private sightseeing flight all around western Colorado with the pilot and one other guy. We each had a cell phone. None of them worked at all, one (mine) was Verizon and the other two were Sprint or Nextel. This sort of meshes with an experience I had the last time I flew out of Los Angeles. We were in a hurry to the airport and as we were freeway driving to LAX my phone kept losing its signal. So how can we believe cell phones were successfully used on September 11 at altitude moving 400? miles an hour? Excluding the calls from airphones, aren’t cell phones the source of the wealth of our knowledge about the hijackings? ISTM this is a weak point in the official story. Why haven’t experts debunked it? Many thanks. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/2 "2006-01-31T22:54:01Z")
Well, just off the top of my head…because they did. Western Colorado has crappy cell phone reception. Mountains everywhere, don’t you know. In the air over Pennsylvania…no mountains. Don’t look for conspiracies where there aren’t any. There are plenty of real ones to go around. ---
**Author:** ![bradministrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@bradministrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradministrator)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/3 "2006-01-31T22:59:06Z")
Plus, we have no idea how many people on the planes were unable to get a signal. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/4 "2006-01-31T23:00:23Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Well, just off the top of my head…because they did. > > Western Colorado has crappy cell phone reception. Mountains everywhere, don’t you know. In the air over Pennsylvania…no mountains. > > Don’t look for conspiracies where there aren’t any. There are plenty of real ones to go around. I’m not sure I’d say **no** mountains. I’m assuming this is ignorance, and you’re not some kind of mountain snob. Nevertheless, you don’t have as many problems with coverage. I remember being out one night and decided to call a friend, who, I’d forgotten, was out of town on business. When he answered, I said, “hey man, where are you?” He responded, “Mechanicsburg.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/5 "2006-01-31T23:08:26Z")
You call those little piles of dirt _mountains_? Mt. Davis - 3213 feet Mt. Elbert - 14,433 feet. Hell, I’m a flatlander around here, and I live at 2710 feet! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/6 "2006-01-31T23:43:52Z")
You (the OP) are not by any chance coming here from [this site](http://www.physics911.net/cellphoneairliners.htm) or one like it, are you? > [@](#): > > Cell phones traveling in airliners can get a service signal at heights up to some 6,000 ft, but it is not possible to make a connection, at least not while traveling at the usual cruising speed of a normal airliner (500-550 mph). […] > > It is generally agreed upon that all the airliners that crashed on September 11, 2001, flew at a high cruising speed of 500 mph and more until they crashed. Thus, it seems safe to say that **no cell phone of any type could have established any stable connection to any cell site at that speed, no matter which height the planes flew at**. This is particularly true for United Airlines flight 93, which did not only fly at high speed but also at a relatively high altitude during the time when the alleged cell phone calls were placed. Quite a categorical statement there. And, there seem to be a few more screeds like this around the Net. Who knew? But consider this. Given that reporters were able to use their cell phones from [Air Force One](http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V67N1/feature1.html), on the very day of the attacks yet, I have no trouble believing passengers on the doomed airliners also could. Air Force One flies pretty high. Moreover, the whole accusation just doesn’t make any sense. (To me.) Airliners forbid you from using your cell phone during take-off and landing, but permit it during the cruise portion of the flight, when your altitude is typically 25,000 feet or more. If cell phone calls were impossible from airplanes flying at cruising altitudes, what have airline passengers been doing with their cell phones all these years? Imagining their conversations? Finally, what possible motive is there for fabricating all these last-minute phone conversations between the victims and their families? How does that serve anyone’s conspiracy? And how did you get all the families to along with the ruse? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/7 "2006-01-31T23:45:43Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > Finally, what possible motive is there for fabricating all these last-minute phone conversations between the victims and their families? How does that serve anyone’s conspiracy? And how did you get all the families to along with the ruse? To cover up that it was not a hijacking of the planes. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/8 "2006-01-31T23:53:01Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > Airliners forbid you from using your cell phone during take-off and landing, but permit it during the cruise portion of the flight, when your altitude is typically 25,000 feet or more. This hasn’t been my experience. I’ve only seen cell phones allowed at the gate with the doors open. Has this been a recent change? There are other electronic devices used during cruising, but not cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/9 "2006-02-01T00:04:17Z")
The problem with this conspiracy theory is that it requires several several normal citizens to be in on it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/10 "2006-02-01T00:10:35Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > Airliners forbid you from using your cell phone during take-off and landing, but permit it during the cruise portion of the flight, when your altitude is typically 25,000 feet or more. If cell phone calls were impossible from airplanes flying at cruising altitudes, what have airline passengers been doing with their cell phones all these years? Imagining their conversations? This is totally incorrect. You are permitted to use laptops during cruising but not cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/11 "2006-02-01T00:26:26Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > This is totally incorrect. You are permitted to use laptops during cruising but not cell phones. Thanks for the correction. I’m not a cell phone user, and shouldn’t have posted a mere impression I had. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/12 "2006-02-01T00:57:08Z")
I suspect some people might have turned on their cell phones during the hijacking even though they weren’t allowed to otherwise. Also, there are “sky phones” built into the headrests of seats on many planes, which you’re allowed to use during flight - I assume they work on a similar principle but have no idea. (Flying United this weekend, I noted they use Verizon as their provider.) Anyway, passengers might have used these instead. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/13 "2006-02-01T01:01:31Z")
I have accidentally forgotten to turn off my phone on a flight (really it was!) and the phone rang once and also received a text message. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/14 "2006-02-01T01:21:00Z")
What BobT said, although it wasn’t me. I’ve been on a flight once when someone near me had their phone ring and had to do an embarrassed dive into their bag to turn it off. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/15 "2006-02-01T01:55:57Z")
Not that **I** have ever done any such thing (of course not, perish the thought) but cell phones DO work in airplanes. In addition to 9/11, there have been several instances of pilots in distress using cellphones to call control towers after radio failures - a use permitted under emergency circumstances. It’s not that cell phones don’t work (they do, if they’re not out of range of a tower), it’s that there’s been some concern that a transmitting device like a cellphone might interfere with the equipment on board the airplane. For the critical phases of take of and landing they err even more on the side of caution and restrict many electronic devices. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/16 "2006-02-01T02:28:51Z")
It is likely that on Flight 93 just about everyone tried their cell phones, with a few getting thru. The conversations that are well documented, such as Todd Beamer’s, was actually on a Verizon air phone to Verizon’s supervisor. An Air phone is designed for use at altitude. A few miscellaneous cell phone call conversations have been recalled by relatives of folks who were calling terrified. If they recall the conversation, they probably explain it and recall it as lasting much longer than it did – Completely normal, considering the significance of the call. But airphones were the source of well documented, lengthier calls. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/17 "2006-02-01T03:11:04Z")
> [@Star Wars Holiday Special](#): > > I don’t know if this has been asked before, but why hasn’t anyone challenged the official story of the September 11 attacks regarding the cell phone calls? Because they were _satellite_ calls, using the AirFones in the airplanes’ seatbacks. Damned expensive, but they work. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/18 "2006-02-01T04:11:46Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Because they were _satellite_ calls, using the AirFones in the airplanes’ seatbacks. Damned expensive, but they work. Not all of the phone calls were sat phone calls. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/19 "2006-02-01T04:39:05Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Not all of the phone calls were sat phone calls. See post 16. ---
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422/20 "2006-02-01T04:52:55Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Let’s play the “quote the post right above you” game! No, let’s don’t. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-challenge-to-9-11-cell-phone-story/342422.md?page=2)