Richard Reid trying to light his shoe-borne-explosives (SBE) on fire sounded pretty funny at first too. When I realized what would have happened if he hadn’t failed though, it made me sick with dread at how close to death the hundreds on that plane were.
I’m not convinced that the plot failed every time.
Plane Crashes in Queens, New York
November 12, 2001 — American Airlines Flight 587 crashed on takeoff in the borough of Queens in New York City. The Airbus A300 was headed from JFK International airport to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was not immediately clear whether there were any survivors, as rescue crews rushed to the scene. Homeland security surveillance flights in the area reported no unusual activity, according to the Pentagon.
The flight carrying 255 people went down at 9:17 a.m. EST in the Rockway section of Queens, about five miles from Kennedy Airport. At least four buildings are on fire, according to local media reports. Approximately 44 trucks and 200 firefighters have been dispatched to the scene.Mayor Rudy Giuliani said there were two crash sites — one where the plane landed and another where an engine landed. According to firefighter reports, an engine dropped from the plane.