A look back at the decision to shoot down Flight 93

"Just Jeepin'" (macintux)
09/05/2019 at 09:20 • Filed to: Planelopnik

Very painful read. I only got partway through before I bailed.

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DISCUSSION (26)

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 09:38

This event unfolded on a Tuesday and my third daughter was born on Friday while they were still hoping to find survivors under the rubble. The only time in my life I’ve ever woken up screaming from a night terror was following this event. To this day, I cannot, will not , watch video of the aircraft knifing into the side of the WTC tower, or of the tower collapsing.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
09/05/2019 at 09:48

I have written about this day, and will post again next week. But you will not find a picture of the planes hitting, bodies falling, or video of any of it. Am I denying history? No. I’m avoiding being sensationalist. Those pictures are out there if you want to see them.

ttyymmnn > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 09:49

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/flight-93-national-memorial-1803133305

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 09:50

Damn...

The pilots willing to sacrifice themselves (and take the lives of fellow citizens) in order to save other innocents. Wow.

Kinja'd!!!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 09:54

OK. Let’s roll.

Yeah, I’m tearing up at my desk. What an incredible sacrifice these people made...

OPPOsaurus WRX > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 09:55

I have a big meeting on the 11th. It seems weird talking about it to people. “ on September 11th I have to go here and do this.” I’ve heard talks of making it a national holiday and never really agreed with it but I think my mind has changed.

ranwhenparked > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 10:00

I didn’t know, or maybe I did and forgot, that they went up without missiles. Obviously, a kamikaze attack is always there a s a last resort, but they were really prepared to have to ram the plane as the primary option.

For Sweden > ttyymmnn
09/05/2019 at 10:19

I sometimes wonder how different the world would be if the attacks happened in our age of mobile photo and video sharing.

Victims of plane crashes have filmed their last moments; fortunately these have not leaked to the public.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/05/2019 at 10:23

I’m going to a concert on the 11th. It feels really wrong to be excited about something on that date.

ttyymmnn > For Sweden
09/05/2019 at 10:36

Imagine a live stream from inside one the airliners. No, I’d rather not.

Ash78, voting early and often > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
09/05/2019 at 10:44

I’m just sad that “Let’s Roll” is mostly unrecognizable as a pop culture meme for doing something very difficult . That needs to be engraved on a plaque somewhere (if it isn’t already).

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Ash78, voting early and often
09/05/2019 at 11:03

Kinja'd!!!

And then this, FFS...

Kinja'd!!!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 11:04

Seems wild to me that the pilots were going to kamikaze the plane. I would have thought they'd at least have guns to use even if they didn't carry around missiles. That's probably a change nowadays since 911. I'd imagine fighter patrols with actual armament are far more common.

Just Jeepin' > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
09/05/2019 at 11:10

I doubt guns would bring down a large airliner.

I’m sure a lot has changed about our defensive posture.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 11:21

A20mm cannon could easily bring down an airliner.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
09/05/2019 at 11:27

It’s mainly due to the number of careless firing, plus the loading and then unloading and that they’ve never been needed before

facw > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 11:35

Guns would have worked fine. I think the problem was just that there was no time to load the ammo.

Mercedes Streeter > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 12:37

Reading the article, it looks like they simply didn’t have time to arm the aircraft. Apparently it would have taken something like an hour to get the planes properly ready to fly but they thought they didn’t have that time.

So they literally hopped in, got enough of the plane’s systems running to be able to fly, then took off. They thought they would attempt to wave the plane away from DC and if that failed, crash into the cockpit and tail to crash it.

Mercedes Streeter > For Sweden
09/05/2019 at 12:47

I sometimes wonder how different the world would be if the attacks happened in our age of mobile photo and video sharing.
Victims of plane crashes have filmed their last moments; fortunately these have not leaked to the public.

I accidentally watched such a video when Grenfell Tower was burning. I forget exactly how but my news feeds got pinged exactly when news out there started reporting. People in the 23rd and 24th floors were recording the fire trucks showing up and people coming into their flats to escape the smoke. I believe at the time only a single side of the building was in flames.

I later learned that day that those people died, few people escaped those floors. :(

CB > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 14:01

Jesus that was a tough read. Thank you for sharing.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > facw
09/05/2019 at 16:09

That's what I figured but I would have thought planes kept that loaded for emergencies. But I guess it makes sense to not do that.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
09/05/2019 at 16:20

I guess I would have just thought proper fighter Jets were always available around major cities, especially DC and with all of the military bases around. I figured in “peace time” there wouldn’t be multiple squadrons of them patrolling 24/7 but at least a couple planes gassed/armed up and on call would have been the standard. I'm sure it must be a procedure of some sort now as part of Homeland Security protocols, but the assets existed then too. I suppose it's just another change I've witnessed in my lifetime or I watch too many movies/shows and just assumed it always worked that way lol.

facw > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
09/05/2019 at 16:21

I’d assume it’s considered wildly unsafe to keep them armed (literally like leaving a loaded gun around). In the post-9/11 world though I’m sure we have at least a plane or two armed and ready to scramble at all times, if not already in the air. They also built a bunch of new aircraft shelters at Andrews, which probably makes it easier to get planes prepped quickly and keep them that way than it was on 9/11, as well as allowing some to be positioned closer to the runway for quick takeoffs.

wafflesnfalafel > Just Jeepin'
09/05/2019 at 22:08

I don’t agree with Cheney on much of anything - but I do here. I still just get angry about the whole thing - as a failure. So many competent , strong, heroic people doing so much and it didn’t matter - except those that rushed the cabin and brought down 93. For me, that is the one take away - recognize the best you can do as quickly as you can, even if the BEST option is sh!t. Then it’s all just Jesus (or whatever your particular faith prescribes.) S ometimes it works out, (Sully and Skiles with 1549,) sometimes it doesn’t like with Kendrick Castillo in Colorado.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Mercedes Streeter
09/05/2019 at 23:28

One of the other issues is keeping the ammo and missiles secured, when not in use. And there are strict procedures to make sure they aren’t left unsecured.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Just Jeepin'
09/06/2019 at 06:05

cheers for sharing