The Tragedy that Shook America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Tragedy that Shook America - Essay Example The terrorist attack involved nineteen hijackers of Arab descent, who concurrently took control of four US domestic commercial airliners. According to intelligence report, these men enrolled in US aviation schools to undergo training as pilots months before the hijacking incident (Solomon). These terrorists facilitated the crash of an airliner carrying about 10,000 gallons of jet fuel into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York. Shortly after this, a second airliner plowed into the South Tower of the same establishment. These buildings, dubbed as the "Twin Towers," collapsed in less than 90 minutes after the crash. ("The 9/11 Commission Report") That same morning, a third airliner, Flight 77 smashed into the western wing of the Pentagon. After half an hour, a fourth airliner slammed into a field of Southern Pennsylvania, after being diverted from its main target, The White House, by heroic passengers who fought the hijackers. ("Wikipedia") The devastation brought about by the terrorists is considered worse that the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 (Hirsh, Kett & Trefil). All in all, the total death toll reached about 3,000 for these separate incidents. Apart from this, properties worth billions of dollars were also destroyed during the attack ("The 9/11 Commission Report"). According to investigations and t... Flight 77 and the Pentagon One of the airliners hijacked is the American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757-223 that flew routinely in the morning from Washington Dulles International Airport in Fairfax, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport. Based on reports, the five hijackers, who were aboard the flight, failed the metal detector test before boarding. However, they were still allowed to enter the plan ("Wikipedia"). Findings of the investigation show that the hijackers were able to gain entry to the cockpit armed with knives and box-cutters. During the hijacking, some passengers were said to have made phone calls to their loved ones to alert them regarding incident. At 9:37 A.M. EDT, Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the Pentagon. All of the 58 passengers along with the crewmembers died. Meanwhile, 125 people in the Pentagon perished as the jet fuel exploded upon impact ("The 9/11 Commission Report"). The thick limestone walls and durability of the building materials being utilized in the renovations at the time were cited as the primary reasons why the ill-fated Flight 77 only penetrated the outer three rings out of the five concentric rings of the Pentagon ("Wikipedia"). Conspiracy Theories There are some people who question the truth behind the crashing of Flight 77 into the Pentagon. They believe that the attack was orchestrated by a select group of top-ranked people to serve their personal interest. Based on evidences collected, these people assert that the Pentagon was not hit by a Boeing 757. In line with this, others claim that a missile rather than an aircraft hit the Pentagon. Given