9/11 - what happened to the planes?

[myyve]

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?

I'm sorry but I can't imagine what level of research you are undertaking that having watched footage you thought that the planes could have come out of the side and crash landed. You can't possibly be serious.

4 planes.

2 WTC
1 pentagon
1 downed by passengers/crashed into a field.
HTH. It was a truly terrible day.

I had a friend in New York ask the same question at the the time, and I know what OP means. I remember how the planes sliced in at such speed, like a knife, you might have expected a part to appear on the other side. I don't understand the sanctimonious aggression to the OP on this thread.

What horrible replies. There's absolutely no need. I have a very, very unscientific brain and am constantly asking my physics genius son ridiculous questions, which he patiently, but often in hysterical laughter, answers me.

One was 'why is the sun so hot?' I don't know, I don't understand, and I just wanted to know. Its a standing joke in my family, but they are kind enough to answer (if wary about what daft thing mum's going to ask next).

Does being so unpleasant make people feel superior?

This is exactly what I meant by my question.

I wasn’t born in 1945 when the atomic bombs were dropped in Japan. I don’t use that as an excuse to ask questions in very poor taste on Mumsnet.

Absolutely no need on the aggression towards the OP at all x

I watched it as it happened and I didn't know until this thread that there was a 4th plane, so you do learn something new every day.

Two hit towers - one hit the Pentagon and other went down in a field when passengers tried to take back plan having I think learnt of fate of other planes.

I think I've seen documentaries about first three planes but mention of fourth with them - there was a good on on BBC2 recently with President Bush -9/11: Inside the President's War Room with politics on the day - but there are documentaries looking at every aspect including structural engineering of the towers - one of the firefighting crews who had towers on watch had a film crew with them - they were more aware of the dangers the towers presented and the I think all survived when other stations suffered huge losses.

@myyve

Most aircraft structure is thin gauge metal alloy/composite that has relatively little resistance to the sort of mechanical impact involved in the 9/11attacks.

As a result of that the bulk of airframes were pretty much shredded on contact with the buildings - about the only recognisable items that did fly through the building structures and land beyond ground zero were some large very solid metal undercarriage and engine components.

https://exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov/wtc/recovery/aircraft.html

I don’t understand why you wouldn’t use google and why you’d come on to mumsnet? There IS information on all 4 planes online, a 5 second google search came up with lots of information including your question which I’m staggered by. This does come across as insensitive and a troll post when a simple google would have answered your question rather than getting others to type out what happened to the poor souls on board. I don’t believe you’re doing a research project if you’re on mumsnet. And if you were doing a research project you’d know the answer to your question. I was a child when 9/11 happened and I still know what happened. The information is everywhere and from actual reputable sources if you look for it.

I appreciate the apology Op because I think this was in incredibly poor taste and the timing really adds to that impression. I’m truly stunned that you had no idea that if a big object like a plane crashes into a building it’s game over- any video of the event showcases that. I feel so so sorry for anyone who comes across this thread who was affected. If I absolutely had to ask the question I’d probably leave it for a private Google or a chat with a close friend. But you’ve apologised repeatedly and you can’t undo asking so there you go.

Oh for fuck's sake, it happened nearly 25 years ago. There's plenty worse things happening right now in the world. Can no one ask a question about them either?

In my initial response on page 1 I said that it's not like Fast &Furious. I think films like that don't help as they show a racing type car (which are usually pretty flimsy), driving out of the window of a skyscraper, straight into the window of the next skyscraper - no-one hurt and car still in one piece - and then it roars around and then drives out of the next window.

Sadly a lot of youngsters today can't separate fiction from reality and think things like this are actually possible.

OP, with all kindness, if this is a serious question for research you need to look at improving your research skills. Citing an social internet forum for this type of question isn't appropriate. A librarian at your university/college would be able to help you with what direction to look for the information you need

I was 21 and had a student job in a petrol station at the time. It was my usual shift - I'd taken an extra one on

I remember customers started to talk about it.

"A plane crashed in New York"

"A plane's collided with one of the World Trade Centre towers".

Initially, everyone thought it was an accident. People thought it must be a little private plane. Then it got worse.

"A second passenger jet has flown into the other tower".

It was at that point people realised that it wasn't an accident. Then we got steady updates. The first tower has collapsed. The second tower has collapsed.

I didn't actually see any footage until I got home in the evening, and, despite having been told about it all day - it was so unreal. The footage still gives me chills. My brother had been standing at the bottom of the WTC only two weeks earlier.

I was in New York two years later, standing at Ground Zero, and the scale of it was insane. So much needless loss.

My mom told me that it was one of those major events you'll always remember exactly where you were when you heard the news - like for her, when Kennedy was shot or they made the moon landing. Obviously the younger generation won't have that.

I don’t think they know absolutely for sure, but the settled opinion seems to be the US Capitol building in DC was the intended target.

OP I think you’ve asked in a clumsy way but I get what you’re trying to find out. As others have said, the force of the impact would have broken the planes up. Everyone on board died either from the impact or the massive fireball, from the jet fuel (the hijackers chose cross-country airliners as they’d be heavy with fuel, having just taken off for the Boston-LA route for instance).

However, debris from the planes did exit the building. Someone has mentioned the piece of debris found wedged between two buildings not too long ago. On the day itself, other plane debris was spotted on the ground. A woman on the street was struck by the landing gear of the second plane: I recall seeing an interview with the two paramedics who attended her. She survived amazingly. The 9/11 Museum has pieces of the planes on display, that survived the impact and collapses. Personal items from people on the planes were found on the ground, having been ejected during the impact. So while the planes did not come out the other side of the buildings as such, the impacts and fires would have seen large parts wedged in the building, but other parts did end up on the ground due to the speed and force of the impact and planes’ break up.

In my 1st comment upthread I asked if you were being serious simply because I can’t comprehend how anyone could see any one of the 100s of videos of the event and think ‘maybe it flew straight out the other side’. Like, that doesn’t compute in my head. I wasn’t being ‘nasty’ or ‘offended’.

I do understand how people might feel this is insensitive or a troll post, but I can promise you it isn't. I am sorry again. I was young at the time and I suppose I've been somewhat sheltered from what happened. We didn't learn about this event in school, like we did with the wars. I have had to conduct mostly my own research, to which the Internet and books have of course given me lots of answers for. However, this one particular question I had I couldn't find answers for. I am sorry that I asked here.

Exactly.

Even Wikipedia - probably the first point of call for most non academic researchers- makes it clear that the planes crashed into the skyscrapers, there were no survivors from the flights and that only limited debris was ever found.

There is no way OP could misconstrue that, so I reckon BS.

I’m definitely of the opinion there are no stupid questions.

For those who watched it all unfold, every single detail is etched on their brains. However, for someone of OPs age it’s just history, an historical event that doesn’t form part of her life (or at least that she can remember).

For those who experienced it in the years following we saw the footage over and over. The OP might not even be aware there is footage.

I really wish people didn’t jump on others who ask questions.,

There is a programme that gives a scientific theory about the planes think it was conspiracy theories programme. It was to dispel queries about nothing left. They were vaporised, always think of the little girl & her mom on 1st plane to hit the tower.

The planes disintegrated on impact. There's a moving documentary covering Deborah Mardenfield, who was severely injured by falling debris from the second plane, and the paramedic who helped her.

This is one of many that looks at why the two towers collapsed.

90% of questions people ask on mumsnet could be answered by using google. The site would be pretty quiet if nobody was allowed to ask anything unless they had exhausted all other options.

Some people are just dicks for the sake of being a dick, ignore them OP.

Ah, @myyve you shouldn't apologise, you asked a question and people are free to answer it or not.

I don't think you came across as trolling, just curious.

I ask questions about things I don't understand on here and it's a mixed bag of responses, some desperate to be just awful, some can't help enough.

I hope you get some helpful answers x