How did an airplane fly into the middle of Manhattan, without being detected?

Question

It crashed into a building without being detected.
Do you feel safe now?

Answer 1

How, indeed. I keep seeing answers that say, "It wasn't terrorism" and "It was an accident." Regardless, a plane flew into a building undetected.

Answer 2

How are they suppossed to "detect" a plane flying in or around Manhattan?

I assume you know there are about 8 airports within a ring of 15 miles from Manhattan, 3 are among the world's busiest. Besides there is no no-fly zone over any American city except DC.

And even if it was detected what should they have done about it? There is not a permanent fighter squadron circling the city, and if there was what could they have done? Shoot it down and make sure it crashes into something? Or let it fly and hope it doesn't?

Stop being a fearmonger.

Answer 3

It WAS detected and they had it on radar.
At that point, no one even suspected they would fly the plane into a building.
They just thought it was being hijacked and taken off course.
I do admit to feeling a little nervous each time we have flown since then. I watch the passengers around me and see if I can detect anything odd about them.

EDIT - thought you meant 911 - if you meant a recent plane I did not hear about it. At the Pumpkin Farm all day with neice and nephew!

Answer 4

it appears there was problems with the plane so it crashed now not sure if that area was a no fly zone probably not as it wasn't detected though pilot did issue a mayday before crash it had only taken off from a site 12 miles away or maybe with all that;s going on corey just commited suicide

Answer 5

It did not fly into the middle of Manhattan undetected. York Avenue is on the extreme east side of the island, right near the East River. The East River has a VFR corridor for small planes. Planes and helicopters are constantly traveling in this corridor. Apparently this plane ran into some sort of trouble and veered over, out of the VFR corridor and smashed into a building. It's sort of like driving down a road and smashing your car into a telephone pole.

Now it turns out the pilot was a Yankee pitcher.

Answer 6

That is a good question. They may detect the planes. However, should the security services have had to destroy the planes? Any plane? This was an American private plane. We need to think about it. They can't destroy it. They need to detect the terrorism in the airport, not in the air because the can't destroy any plane that is causing an accident. I still feel safe. :)

Answer 7

ok once again yet another person trying to make something out of nothing... as far as the military goes, aircraft flying at 1200 or so do not get watched that way a civilian passenger or military plane does. these aircraft have their permission to fly in certain areas they report to the local authorities be it the airport or some outside agency. if he called mayday, then obviously some one knew about it. it was probably some sort of emergency that he could not control his plane or he had a medical issue, this was truly an accident and nothing more.

Answer 8

There was a MAYDAY CALL made so im thinking that somehow they "detected" the plane... as in they knew it was having problems and where!

what do you want?? some kind of "astray plane alarm?" i dont think air traffic control is that simple.

Answer 9

It was taking off from a nearby field. It was below the level of radar. It just goes to show that while we are "safer," we are not "safe" and probably never will be...as a free society. That's the price we pay.

Answer 10

I know, I thought that was a No Fly zone. What happened? Guess Bush isn't doing such a great job on home security, huh?