TERRORISM: Airline Crew Reports Missile Attack

An American Airlines Captain reported a missile being fired at his aircraft after takeoff from Los Angelas International Airport. The FBI and Homeland Security are investigating.



It's a short little story with huge repercussions for the airline industry, which is why it has become a backpage article in my humble opinion. These kind of reports just before christmas could cause serious problems for an already ailing industry.

This threat has been in the limelight in aviation circles for quite some time, but kept out of mainstream news discussion for the above mentioned reasons. I think the public should be made aware of the danger that shoulder launched surface to air missiles bring. It would be very easy for the government to require the same protections against this threat in US commercial aviation that the Israelis have in their's (as well as America's own Air Force One), but the airlines wont buy off on it because of the cost.

In the article, it states that the FBI believes it was only a bottle rocket or a flare, but that is highly unlikely considering the altitudes that aircraft climb to immediately after takeoff. Anyone ever see a bottlerocket climb to three or four thousand feet?

[edit on 2-12-2005 by snafu7700]

Interesting and a nice find
I wonder if it has any connection to what is happening in Connecticut right now?
Connecticut courts evacuated after threat

Did this happen last week? The article says the FBI spent the weekend investigating it.

I would think we would have heard more about this and sooner...there's nothing else I can find.

An American Airlines captain reported a missile being fired at his aircraft after take-off from Los Angelas International Airport. The FBI and Homeland Security are investigating.

Something tells me an airline pilot would know the difference between a bottle rocket, flare, and something to actually worry about.

In the article, it states that the FBI believes it was only a bottle rocket or a flare

They're probably just saying this as to not cause panic whether they know what it was or not.

If it missed, where's the missile?

What goes up must come down, it would have had to fall somewhere.

Could be that what ever the missile was, it landed in the ocean. Looks like LAX runways go out over the ocean

exactly. im not that familiar with west coast operations, but it sounds like they were departing to the west, which takes them over the ocean. any missile fired would fall into the ocean if it missed it's target.

From what I can find the plane was aproximately 5000 feet in altitude and over the bay. If the missle was fired it would more than likely have fallen into the water. Wonder if they searched watercraft. Those missles can be fired from any small place.

(bottle rockets or model rockets don't go that high)

Here is an interesting article plus some other links

(edited for more information)

[edit on 2-12-2005 by nwscc]

originally posted by djohnsto77
I would think we would have heard more about this and sooner...there's nothing else I can find.

which is exactly my point. it's a backpage story originally reported by ABC News. why isnt it in the main stream media? because it would scare passengers.

Model rockets, at least the high-power versions of same, can and regularly do! reach altitudes well in excess of 5000FT.

I have personally seen launches which for all intents and purposes would be be deemed absolute failures, reach altitudes more than twice that altitude.

yes, and in order to fly model rockets that high, especially in the area surrounding a large international airport, you have to have permission from the FAA, who in turn has to set up a NOTAM (notice to airmen) in order to advise pilots of the launch. it would probably not be approved this close to LAX.

Sounds to me like population control. Get ready for more rights infringement - to defend us all from terrorist attacks.

really soficrow? then why isnt the mainstream media picking up on it? i think they are intentionally shoving it under the rug because they dont want the flying public to know.....bad for airline revenues.

i have to laugh at this u2u:

A contributor voting NO on your submission: (submission) (terrorism) Airline Crew Reports Missile Attack has indicated they did so because they feel your topic really isn't appropriate for ATSNN. Keep in mind that ATSNN is the news portal service of a conspiracy and alternative topic community.

(emphasis added)

a discussion about possible terrorist activities isnt appropriate to the terrorism news thread? LMAO!

I think the lack of coverage is because of fear of what it would do to the Christmas travel crowd.

But check this out.

Police stop truck carrying missile launchers on Toronto-area highway Friday Morning.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I've been at LAX watching the jets take off. They fly right over Pershing Dr. and Vista del Mar at very low altitude. There is a hill, like a big sand dune that runs between the two streets. I used to take my son up on Sandpiper Rd., right off the end of the main runway up on the dune, to watch the jets land and take off. It is blocked off now. It is especially awesome when the wind is blowing from the NE, as the big jumbos seem to almost scrape their bellies on the top of the dune as they come in to land into the wind.

They usually take off heading out over the water though, that's true. There are several locations where it would be possible to launch a firework, model rocket, or shoulder-fired SAM.

I have launched many model rockets in my previous outdoor activities, always following the safety rules. They can reach heights of over a mile, and they leave a significant smoke trail. I hope that is what this was, and not some terrorist with a SAM. Regardless, whoever did this is irresponsible at best, and a danger to himself and others.

while your theory is perfectly possible icarus, i would like to point out that the FAA has spent alot of time and money training both pilots and controllers about surface to air missile threats, and therefore i dont really think that an airline captain would mistake a missile for a small model rocket.

Not saying it was but it possible could be the following:

-Model Rocket or a big Bottle Rocket.
-M72 LAW, shoulder fired anti-tank missile like in the movie 'Falling Down', likely the reason it missed?
-SA-7 fired without a lock? or fired at a incorrect angle.
-RPG-7 rocket propelled grenade?

the Soviet weapons are harder to get in the US since little of these have been imported but M72's could probably end up in civilian possesion more easilly, correct me if i'm wrong here though.

Although, even if this missile would hit, the plane would likely not go down if it's an IR guided missile, 1 engine probably would get destroyed but the explosive is only a few pounds so it would not tear a wing off, a plane could still land with 1 engine missing in most cases.

Originally posted by GrOuNd_ZeRo

Although, even if this missile would hit, the plane would likely not go down if it's an IR guided missile, 1 engine probably would get destroyed but the explosive is only a few pounds so it would not tear a wing off, a plane could still land with 1 engine missing in most cases.

yes and no.....civilian airliners arent built quite as ruggedly as military aircraft. they cant handle alot of the g-loads the military aircraft can, and even a small explosion by a small warhead would cause quite a load.

of course, that's just my opinion from what i've seen and read.....i'd like to see the opinion of an aeronautical engineer on this one.

My question isn't so much why the mainstream media hasn't picked up this story, but rather why a local CBS television/radio affiliate out of Philadelphia is reporting this story which took place in Los Angeles, on a flight to Chicago??? Does that seem odd to anyone else? All the links I've seen related to this story, whether on here or on the Drudge Report, etc, have sent me to this article from KYW out of Philly. Wouldn't you think that a Los Angeles station would have picked this up? I think its a big story nationally, but an even bigger story for those who live in or fly in and out of the Los Angeles area.