I still have a hard time seeing terrorist take control of a plane with plastic forks and knives. I just don't believe that passengers are going to stand down to that. My dad wouldn't. He's a tough man. I'm sure there were some people on those planes who were tuff enough to take down terrorist with a plastic knife. A plastic knife? Come on people. That's why I don't believe the terrorist took over the plane with a plastic knife. Not only that but security IMO before 9/11 was not that tight. I've been through metal detectors before at airports before 9/11 and the people behind the monitors acted like they were doing the job half ass.

mrmulder, they also had box cutters, which were allowed on planes like everything else before 9/11.

Originally posted by pyxsul
mrmulder, they also had box cutters, which were allowed on planes like everything else before 9/11.

That still doesn't mean the passengers couldn't have fought back. Now if it was a gun that's a different story but I'll bet some of the passengers could've stood up to the terrorist and taken back the plane.

True. I don't know if it has been discussed or if it is even logical, but maybe the terrorists brainwashed them or released a chemical to make them not fight back? haha, just came to mind so I thought'd I'd mention.

Originally posted by pyxsul
True. I don't know if it has been discussed or if it is even logical, but maybe the terrorists brainwashed them or released a chemical to make them not fight back? haha, just came to mind so I thought'd I'd mention.

I don't think this was the case, I believe the box cutters and knives story.

I know that had I been on one of the planes, I would have joined in the "fight".

Will fly with that mentality today too, if we're doomed, then I'm going down fighting.

In the flight that crashed in a field, it's believed it's because there was a strugle between the hijacker and the passengers. And of course that would leave no one flying the plane.

Originally posted by Ranger
And of course that would leave no one flying the plane.

lol the pilot(s) That's if they (the passengers) pulled the hijackers out of the cockpit and allowed the pilots to attempt to rescue it. Who knows

Dont forget the people probly didnt know they were gonna die untill 2 late

Also

I heard they moved everyone to the back then sealed the pilot doors

Originally posted by pyxsul

Originally posted by Ranger
And of course that would leave no one flying the plane.

lol the pilot(s) That's if they (the passengers) pulled the hijackers out of the cockpit and allowed the pilots to attempt to rescue it. Who knows

Maybe they where dead.

Anyway, here are my hypotheseses(sp?) on why that flight crashed, a,b and c being the most plausible cases:

a-The plane crashed while they where fighting and no one was at the controls.

b-They managed to stop the hijackers but the hijackers killed the pilots and no one knew how to fly the plane.

c-They did manage to stop the hijackers and during the strugle the plane was going down and it was too late for the pilots to pull up.

d-The crazy mofo hijackers did it on purpose(Unlikely because they probaly wanted to hit a target(White House?))

e-The hijackers wheren't skilled enough to fly the plane(Unlikely because they would have to train if they wanted to pull it off)

f-The controls got damaged during the strugle and it was inpossible to control the plane.(Unlikely because I assume the controls are sturdy)

I seem to recall that the hijackers killed the pilots (this was recorded on one of the flights, the sound of a pilot basically getting his throat cut). I think it was flight 93 but I could be wrong.

Now with that said,

I am just not sure that most passengers had any time to react. I mean if before 9/11 I had been on a flight that was hijacked it would have NEVER entered my mind that they would crash the plane. Before hijackings were more likely that they would have landed the plane, held you hostage and demanded money or prisoners released. If they were going to kill you a bomb would go off but thinking they might crash the plane? Never would have entered my mind and I flew every single week, in and out of Isreal and the middle east, they always talked about hostage situations and bombings. Even if they took the cockpit I would have still believed they were going to land somewhere. Supposedly the plane that did crash in the field had some people calling home and they found out about the WTC, so they knew the plan and probably acted. Did they stop it? We may never know.

I heard that they had box cutters not plastic knifes. If i was on that plane i would star swinging ohh yeah dam right no ones taking nothing i would do whatever i could to get that plane back in control but i wouldnt let them just take it like that if they had guns it would be another story thought.

[Edited on 10-3-2004 by ShadowMan]

The hijackers went for the pilots first. Once they had control of the flight deck, there was little that anybody could do.
Blame it on First Class. Economy would have probably been up for a fight but never had the chance.

I read some of the articles posted and my first thought was that it seems there was a problem with the hijacking on flight 93 which allowed the passengers more time to call, etc. Wasn't it late in departing (it does seem it was further away then the others to it's target and family members had already seen the WTC attack). I don't find the use of cell phones on planes that big a stretch. IN business class on many of my flights people have been breaking the rules and using their cellphones (usually earpieces to conceal it). That was before 9/11.

I guess I am just more inclined to believe the calls were made (although the heroic comments could be more attributed to a families grief, trying to show their loved ones were putting on a brave face, we hear this often as people recount a love ones last words, etc).

So the first planes probably as I said before, no one knew what was happening other than a hijacking, flight 93 they knew but still we all have hindsight looking into this and when we say we would do something, it is based on the fact we know more than they did at the time. Can you imagine the confusion and terror? Can you imagine being on flight 93 and finding out about the WTC, could you really react fast enough to stop them, especially if they secured the cockpit door?

We all have hindsight looking into the planes that day, but can any of us honestly say what really happened. No, no survivors. Only us looking back.

I had read somewhere that the Koran does not advocate Suicides... that it says they will not go to heaven with the 100s of Virgins. It only OK's death if you are to become a Martyr? is that correct or not?

Because if it is true, why would they kill themselves in a suicide attack? They weren't becoming Martyr's in doing so right? They were in essence just killing themselves and others

In a situation like this, I also believe that the passengers had no idea, that those planes will be crashed, as the terrorists already announced that they will be landing, and nobody will get hurt if they do what they are told. Also, the terrorists threatened that bombs are on the plane. Because the two WTC planes' crash was the primary aim of the attacks, those passengers had no chance to get to know anything about the attack in such a short time. I wonder though, that the passengers on board the second jet saw the WTC tower on fire from far behind, why didn't they react quickly? They should have about 4 minutes to get there, and it was clearly visible. They flew to their death, but they should all react the same way seeing the towers burning.

The pentagon crash is another interesting thing. That guy just could not fly at all, his teacher said. How could he be so precise? :-D

Before 9/11 a hijacking meant a negotiation and a eventual letting go. But nowadays? We would kick ass. Before the plane was rarely damaged, people let go. But now we know that maybe they are going to crash the plane, and so we would go and kick terrorist ass.