Page 61 - Heavenly Signs III by Mel Gable

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Terrorist Attacks – 2001

On September 11, 2001 attacks came from a series of four coordinated suicide plane attacks upon the United
States in both New York City and the Washington, D.C. areas. On that morning, there were 19 terrorists from
the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda who ceased and hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally flew
two of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, into the North and South
Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. Within two hours both towers collapsed. Debris
from the collapsing towers fell onto or initiated fires in several surrounding buildings leading to the partial or
complete collapse of all the other buildings in the complex. Debris also caused major damage to ten other large
structures in the immediate area. The hijackers also intentionally crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the
Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and intended to pilot the fourth hijacked jet, United Airlines Flight 93, into the
United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Its passengers tried to overcome the hijackers and the plane
crashed into a near by field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. 90

Twin Towers Event – 2001:

On September 11, 2001 at 8:46 a.m., five
hijackers crashed American Airlines
Flight 11 into the World Trade Center's
North Tower and at 9:03 a.m., another
five hijackers crashed United Airlines
Flight 175 into the South Tower.

Three buildings in the World Trade
Center complex collapsed due to fire-
induced structural failure. The South
Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m. after
burning for 56 minutes in a fire caused
by the impact of United Airlines Flight
175 and the explosion of its fuel. The
North Tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m. after
burning for 102 minutes. When the North
Tower collapsed, debris fell on the
nearby 7 World Trade Center buildings
damaging it and starting additional fires.

Attack of the World Towers (CCASA)

At 9:40 in the morning, the FAA grounded all aircraft within the continental U.S. and all aircraft already in flight
were told to land immediately. All international civilian aircraft were either turned back or redirected to airports
in Canada or Mexico. And all international flights were banned from landing on U.S. soil for three days. The
attacks created widespread confusion among news organizations and air traffic controllers.

The attacks resulted in the death of 2,996 people, including the 19 hijackers and 2,977 victims. The victims
included 246 on the four planes from which there were no survivors, 2,606 in New York City in the towers and
on the grounds, and 125 at the Pentagon. Nearly, all of the victims were civilians; 55 military personnel were

90 "The Attack Looms". 9/11 Commission Report. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. 2004.