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9/11 - what happened to the planes?

775 replies

myyve · 12/09/2023 11:48

Thinking on from that awful day after the anniversary yesterday, one thought has come to mind.

What happened to the planes and those onboard, once they were flown into the twin towers? I know this probably does sound silly and I'm so sorry if it comes across as ignorant, but I truly do not know, and the internet doesn't mention anything, either..

Did they come to a crash landing afterwards? Or did they continue flying? What actually happened to the plane and those poor souls on board?

OP posts:
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myyve · 12/09/2023 14:12

I'd been researching this particular question for so long and wasn't getting anywhere. Yes, i guess it is a strange place to ask - however I needed a quick response from somebody that would hopefully know a little more than I did. That's all. No ill intent.

OP posts:
Reachingreach · 12/09/2023 14:13

Squid3 · 12/09/2023 14:02

This is in poor taste due to it being so close to the anniversary date. It was one of the most horrific times that is ingrained in my memory and will be forever. Doing your own personal research elsewhere would be appreciated.

🙄

MonicaPluto · 12/09/2023 14:15

DivingForLove · 12/09/2023 14:09

@MonicaPluto they teach it in secondary school now. Not being born when something happened has always been a fascinating excuse for ignorance - I think I’d have failed my history degree spectacularly if I’d used it then 😬

My kids were never taught it in Ireland.

Of course you would have failed your history degree using that excuse if the exams were on the historical events that your degree focused on! Do you know absolutely everything that happened in the history of the world??

As I said in a previous post different people are interested in different parts of history, different events and different disasters. So some might be 'ignorant' of 9/11 but know lots about another historical event and vice versa.

housethatbuiltme · 12/09/2023 14:16

BirdiePlantaganet · 12/09/2023 13:16

Saying you were only 2 when it happened is not exactly an excuse for being utterly clueless about the biggest act of terrorism in history.

My son was 2, the other not born. But they would be well able to describe what happened that day, and certainly what happened to the planes and their occupants.

I would say the BIGGEST act of terrorism was what the USA did to Japan.

War or not there was no justification to drop nukes on mass populated civilian cities (completely unfair act of terrorism against innocent people) in response to an attack on a military air base to disable the opponent during war time (fair act of war against the opposing military).

Womencanlift · 12/09/2023 14:16

OP you keep going on about the fact you were only 2 when it happened which means you must be 24 now. You are of an age where you must have some critical thinking. What do you think would happen when there was a massive fireball? There are plenty of videos that cover every angle and none show a plane coming out the other side

I think asking this on the anniversary is why people think that your timing is strange. In the last 24 hours I have seen many clips online because of what date it is of what happened on the day. All of them would have have answered your question

CatamaranViper · 12/09/2023 14:20

I just googled this to see what came up and the first answer said that the planes exploded on impact and instantly killed all onboard.

I mean, it's fairly obvious if you've watched any footage and read any of the reports or newspaper articles from the time. I was only young when it happened as well.

Lorieandrews · 12/09/2023 14:20

I was due to fly to Boston that day and couldn’t because my visa hadn’t come through. I don’t really remember that day well at all myself.

the planes exploded, the fuel made them explode as well. People commuted suicide. Look at the falling man photo who had never been identified .

IsleofSkies · 12/09/2023 14:21

The planes exploded and everyone in them died.

It would be unlikely for everyone to die on those planes and their remains never found, and the planes 'came out the other side' intact or even in pieces.

There is footage online. You didn't need to witness it live to see what happened.

FlySwimmer · 12/09/2023 14:21

@housethatbuiltme Assuming you’re referencing Pearl Harbour, the Japanese had not declared war when they attacked it. They issued the official declaration of war two hours after the attack.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 12/09/2023 14:21

Womencanlift, so, when we get the never-ending, mawkish threads about the anniversary of James Bulger and any other child who hit the headlines, we should stop and think before posting on MN, having done our 'critical thinking' and research elsewhere?

Great! Get an instruction in to MNHQ, would you? I would ADORE never to see those threads here again. Of course, given the titles, I avoid them an let the posters froth and posture amongst themselves as to who is grieving more than the other.

You and other posters really need to stop trying to police the thread, it's hugely annoying.

PenLidsOnTheFloor · 12/09/2023 14:21

Why are people attacking the OP? She asked a question in a place she felt comfortable to. There are 14 pages of people having a go at her, maybe just drop it now.

Ffsmakeitstop · 12/09/2023 14:22

Please stop apologizing op. It's not an unreasonable question to ask. If there are gaps in your knowledge the best thing is to ask people who remember what happened. Please ignore the professionally offended they're probably having a day off from Facebook.

Mimmy352 · 12/09/2023 14:24

PenLidsOnTheFloor · 12/09/2023 14:09

I saw most of it happen on the television and I couldn’t write a book on it. I barely know anything about it, I don’t want to know details, I don’t want to hear about the suffering. I know enough, but I don’t actually recall what happened to all the planes or any other details. The few bits I do recall I don’t want to recall.

Not everyone will know about it, and it’s perfectly fine for people to ask questions without being harassed.

I completely agree. No one should be harassed.

It’s just, in my generation, we grew up with the world of knowledge at our fingertips, so it’s surprising to me that people don’t know what I’d consider common knowledge

BUT I fully acknowledge that it’s common knowledge to me because I’m obsessed with history, so growing up watching documentaries and gathering as much information as possible was normal for me.

I appreciate as well that many do not wish to know the details. They’re utterly heartbreaking, and I’ve spent many a nights sobbing over a documentary, audio file or first hand account.

And yet, even though it’s so awfully sad, there’s a sense of unity in watching clips from that day. People rushing to help strangers, people of different religions, languages, stopping to pray with people. People risking their own lives to go towards danger to help just one person, somebody they’d never met before that day.

There are so many amazing stories of heroes who woke up that morning not knowing the amazing things they were about to be capable of. The passengers who sacrificed themselves to take back the plane and crash it into a field, avoiding more death and destruction. The firefighter who pulled a lady through the window of the pentagon, saving her life and allowing her to go home to her children that day. The priest who insisted on joining the firefighters because they were his friends, and he wanted to help as much as he could, even if it was to just administer last rights.

The man who rescued another from rubble, both of them covered in blood and shaking hands, swearing they’d be brothers for life - who to this day are still best of friends and sharing their stories.

The people who opened their businesses, their homes, to people in need, not knowing if they were dangerous or not.

Sorry, I know this got a bit long so I’ll stop here. But this day in history is something I’m very passionate about, and I don’t think age is a reason not to know about something.

FastAndLast · 12/09/2023 14:25

to ask people who remember what happened

The question wasn’t to do with emotions or reactions, so it’s immaterial if someone remembers it happening or not.
The answers are sadly quite simple and obviously readily available if you do some research on the subject.

givemushypeasachance · 12/09/2023 14:26

Maybe there's some cognitive dissonance at work here. You think "large passenger airliners are big heavy metal objects travelling incredibly fast" versus "the world trade centre was just a wall of glass right" so you then imagine that the crashing planes could have stayed largely intact as they smashed through the glass, to then explode or fall to the ground on the other side.

When you learn more and appreciate that planes are mostly light metal frames covered with thin aluminium, plus they carry huge tanks of highly explosive jet fuel, and that the world trade centre was made of a lot of steel and concrete including "cores" that travelled vertically through the floors, you should then clock that a plane would not go straight through it would mostly disintegrate on impact. And explode.

Like if you threw a paper aeroplane doused in petrol with a lit match taped to it into a wall at 500mph.

Nat6999 · 12/09/2023 14:26

If you look on YouTube, there are simulations of what happened to the planes when they hit the buildings. They were nearly full of fuel & the fireball most likely vaporised anyone on the plane or on the floors of the towers where they hit.

Maatandosiris · 12/09/2023 14:27

housethatbuiltme · 12/09/2023 14:16

I would say the BIGGEST act of terrorism was what the USA did to Japan.

War or not there was no justification to drop nukes on mass populated civilian cities (completely unfair act of terrorism against innocent people) in response to an attack on a military air base to disable the opponent during war time (fair act of war against the opposing military).

I think it’s always very difficult to decide what’s right and wrong in wars. At the time I guess many people say this as finally drawing an end to a war which had killed millions. Now looking back it looks terrible.

it’s a bit like the dam buster raids for years have been touted as the acts of heroes. Yet not long ago Russia blew up a dam in Ukraine and it was seen as despicable.

what I do find terrible are the deals done with war criminals after the end of WWII to obtain information obtained through the unspeakable torture of men women and children.

WhatFlavourIsIt · 12/09/2023 14:27

I say this genuinely op not to be shifty. You need to work on
your research methods. There are tonnes of docs about this very thing. Even searching ' what happened to the planes that crashed into world trade centers ' Instantly brings up a wealth of information.

Athenas · 12/09/2023 14:27

I'll ask again. What sort of case study requires you to research this and ask this question? I see you've just asked it again even though people have told you repeatedly what would have happened.

Indoorcatmum · 12/09/2023 14:27

People love to be dramatic and offended. It's normal and natural to be curious about things and sometimes we want a discussion vs google.

Mumsnet really needs to chill with being so outraged 😂

Teentaxidriver · 12/09/2023 14:28

"I didn't see the footage"

Maybe attempt to watch the footage for yourself before asking? Being able to self-inform is quite an important skill in adulthood.

Brumbies · 12/09/2023 14:28

myyve · 12/09/2023 11:56

I was 2 when it happened, so no I didn't see the footage. I am actually asking as research for part of a case study I am working on. Not just for the hell of it, or because I want to know the morbid details. I am sorry again for asking. I just couldn't find any further information on this online.

You don't need to apologise,ignore the rude people snd their crass comments.

The planes which hit the twin towers would have vaporised in the intense heat.

Galatine · 12/09/2023 14:28

LadyWhineglass · 12/09/2023 11:51

They all burnt to death in a massive fireball.

A horrific death.

The poor families. I think you should ask for this thread to be deleted. It’s in pretty poor taste.

It is very unlikely that they burned to death. The force of the impact would have killed them instantly.
Doubtless most of the planes wreckage would have been destroyed in the subsequent fire.

Mimmy352 · 12/09/2023 14:29

MonicaPluto · 12/09/2023 14:15

My kids were never taught it in Ireland.

Of course you would have failed your history degree using that excuse if the exams were on the historical events that your degree focused on! Do you know absolutely everything that happened in the history of the world??

As I said in a previous post different people are interested in different parts of history, different events and different disasters. So some might be 'ignorant' of 9/11 but know lots about another historical event and vice versa.

Me and my nephew are in Ireland. I learned about it in school, as did he. Maybe it’s just not taught in your area?

myyve · 12/09/2023 14:29

Athenas · 12/09/2023 14:27

I'll ask again. What sort of case study requires you to research this and ask this question? I see you've just asked it again even though people have told you repeatedly what would have happened.

I haven't asked it again. I am researching for my engineering course. I feel extremely vulnerable at the moment on this thread.

OP posts: