Possible SAM Attack Against US Plane

Little Green Footballs ^ | 9/17/05 | Charles Johnson

[jimboster]

I’ve just received a credible tip from an LGF reader that an America West flight out of New York was fired upon by a surface to air missile yesterday, and that the pilot and passengers witnessed it and are now being questioned by the FAA and FBI.

That’s the extent of the information I currently have, and please note: right now this is completely unverified.

[jimboster]

Just an unverified rumor so far.

[putupjob]

No doubt this is what happened to TWA800. That was during the Clinton years and Boeing got blamed for bad wiring around gas tanks. Anything but calling it Islamofascist terrorism during the 1996 election year.

This is probably the same kind of attack except this time it failed.

[msnimje]

Do you know:
Where was the plane at the time?
How close was the rocket to the plane?

[justche]

I'm way behind on the TM thread, so I have no idea if this has been posted or not

[Americanwolf]

if it were fired upon by a handheld sam then the shooter was a crappy shot... most are pretty much point lock and shoot... and since airliners don't have the manuevarablility or anti missile devices. I don't see how it could have avoided a well aimed shot.

[rineaux]

Government will say it was a shoot star or some one was firing off fire crackers.

I agree with the person who posted TWA was shot down by missle.

[oceanview]

the airport would have been shut down instantly. was it? if not, then this did not happen.

[jimboster]

I just saw this on Little Green Footballs

[PilloryHillary]

BUMP

[pollyannaish]

Pretty quiet so far, but imo, it wouldn't be the first time.

[oceanview]

TWA800 was too high. it was a shoe bomb.

[EagleUSA]

Anything but calling it Islamofascist terrorism during the 1996 election year.
------
Right on. The standard tactic. Will be interesting to see how long it takes, if this is real, for the facts to hit the street.

[The Westerner]

Yes, of course it was. The only question early on was whether it was an errant Navy missle or a terrorist's missle.

[U S Army EOD]

Could have been a range problem.

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.

[VadeRetro]

The culprit.

[inkling]

Sounds like a union member was pissed about the America West/US Airways merger.

[Prime Choice]

There is no point of having an UNVERIFIED RUMOR in News.

This is just fearmongering.

[ALASKA]

most are pretty much point lock and shoot...

Maybe it was an RPG fired from the end of the runway...........much easier to miss with one of those. I still think the Rockaway Bay crash was an RPG or an on-board shoebomber.