I've Researched 9/11 For 15 Years. This Doesn't Add Up...

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For 25 years, we have understood the basic outline of what occurred on September 11, 2001. Four commercial airliners were hijacked: American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were flown into the World Trade Center, American Airlines Flight 77 was directed into the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after its passengers attempted to retake control. Almost 3,000 people lost their lives that day. However, amid the chaos of that morning, there were reports of many more aircraft being treated as potential hijackings...  However, ultimately only four were confirmed as hijacked. But what if there had been a fifth aircraft meant to join the others? What if this fifth plane was on the ground at the exact wrong moment and what if it never became part of the attack simply because it couldn't take off? In this video, we will explore the mystery surrounding United Airlines Flight 23. Unlike many theories related to 9/11, this case has a documented history. The FBI did investigate whether Flight 23 could have been the target of an aborted hijacking attempt. However, it remains unresolved whether it actually was.  0:00 Introduction 1:16 United Flight 23 3:51 The First Warning 5:21 The Flight That Never Left 8:59 The FBI Investigation 13:52 Final Thoughts  🎧 Check out the "Hit The Lights" Podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Google and everywhere else you get your podcasts!   🎧 Podcast Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6anlNMUERfwC7S0665z3wy Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-hit-the-lights-podcast/id1503579405 Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS84MTIwMzkucnNz  Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b9116ded-48d9-4f42-ab95-1a74d32c0c89/the-hit-the-lights-podcast   To submit any creepy personal stories or send in videos/photographs you may have caught over the years and can't explain, please email 👉 mystory@top5s.co.uk  Our other channels 👇  🦖 DinosaurDiscovery: DINOSAURS   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzNwK_O14PRYEm5LBiiOAgw   AccessAstronomy: SPACE & ASTRONOMY https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpbMdDya7ubh013QGe0JqHA/featured  🔎 ColdCaseDetective: TRUE CRIME https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdjslyNQupPSFxK_mSPcG-g?   WarsofTheWorld: MILITARY HISTORY https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB29sxIJ9PQIo0hCnIaOMbg  👽 DestinationDeclassified: ALIENS & UFOs https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfxuwHJ4cQHgf1ez7662_fQ  ⚔️ MedievalMadness: MEDIEVAL HISTORY https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWoMpx18YeSVuI7ObqEk8eg   Thanks for watching.   DISCLAIMER: All materials in these videos are used for entertainment purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement is intended. If you are, or represent the copyright owner of materials used in this video, and have an issue with the use of said material, PLEASE email us before putting in a claim and we can res

Transcript

00:06I've researched 9-11 for well over 20 years now, and somehow I've only just found out about this

00:12story. On the morning of September 11th, there was another plane sitting on the runway at JFK,

00:18United Flight 23. It was heading to Los Angeles with around 160 people on board,

00:23but because of the delays that morning it never took off, and I might have been incredibly lucky.

00:29Because there were a number of people on board that the crew were already suspicious of before

00:34the first plane had even hit the World Trade Center. And then, after everyone was taken off

00:39the plane, things got even weirder. People were apparently seen moving around inside,

00:45several floor hatches were found open, and box cutters were reportedly found on almost

00:50identical plane parked nearby. The FBI investigated it, the 9-11 Commission looked into it. Some of

00:58the crew have always believed that their plane was supposed to be hijacked that morning.

01:03So was there actually supposed to be a fifth plane on 9-11? Because up until a few weeks ago,

01:08I had no idea this story even existed. Let's begin.

01:23On the morning of September 11th, 2001, United Airlines Flight 23 was preparing to depart from

01:30New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in Los Angeles. The aircraft was a Boeing 767, a wide-body

01:38plane commonly used for transcontinental flights, similar to the four planes that were ultimately

01:43hijacked that day. Flight 23 was scheduled to depart at 9am. Aboard were approximately 160 passengers,

01:52along with Captain Tom Manello, First Officer Carol Timmons, and six flight attendants.

01:58The morning started off normally, the weather was clear, the aircraft was preparing for takeoff,

02:03and the crew was expecting a smooth flight. Little did they know that thousands of feet above them,

02:10the United States was on the brink of experiencing the deadliest terrorist attack in its history.

02:15The only hiccup occurred during the pre-flight checks, when the flight attendants noticed issues

02:20with the dining orders. It appeared that they hadn't catered for the four hour of passengers in

02:25first class. We did not eat meat. That day, there were only four people in first class,

02:32and the cabin crew had noticed that something seemed off about them.

02:36One was a well-dressed man in a suit, another was a young boy around seven years old,

02:41a third looked like a bodyguard, and the last passenger was a woman wearing a niqab,

02:46who one flight attendant suspected might actually be a man due to their large, hairy hands.

02:52In business class, there was another man, whom the attendants found suspicious. He was a young

02:57Middle Eastern man dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, who was sweating profusely,

03:02even though the aircraft's temperature was cool. This wasn't simply anxious sweating either,

03:08apparently. His shirt was completely soaked with perspiration. It's important to note that these

03:14observations were made at 8.30am, 15 minutes before the first plane struck the World Trade Center,

03:19while one of the flight attendants was trying to sort out meatless meals for the four first class

03:23passengers. The man in a suit asked if he could show his son the cockpit. The request was refused,

03:30as no one was allowed in the cockpit. However, when she returned, the man and the young boy were on

03:36their feet, trying to peer into the cockpit. Soon after, the same man became agitated about the meal

03:42situation, saying it doesn't really matter, we don't want to eat, insisting that they didn't want food,

03:48they just wanted to take off.

03:59As Flight 23 prepared for departure, a member on the ground crew asked Captain Manello if he had

04:05heard about a fire at the World Trade Center. He had not, and he continued taxiing the aircraft into

04:10position. However, he noticed that about 10 planes were lined up in front of him, which was unusual for

04:169am. This unexpected situation caused a delay to the flight's scheduled takeoff time. Moments later,

04:23the pilots heard over the radio that an airplane had flown into the World Trade Center. Initially,

04:29the pilot thought that it was a small aircraft that had accidentally crashed into the building.

04:34However, as more reports began to emerge, it became clear that it was a commercial airliner.

04:39At this time, the captain informed the passengers of an extensive delay, but he did not specify the

04:45reason. Soon after the situation escalated, when United Airlines dispatcher Ed Ballinger began sending

04:51urgent warnings to aircraft, conveying a stark message, beware of any cockpit intrusions.

04:58Manello and Timmons realised everything had changed at that moment, so they barricaded the cockpit door with

05:03luggage. They armed themselves with a fire extinguisher and a crash-axe, prepared to defend themselves if

05:09anyone attempted to enter the cockpit. Around the same time, one of the flight attendants communicated

05:14to inform the captain that there were four people in first class behaving oddly.

05:28At approximately 9.25am, the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop, meaning no aircraft in the United

05:36States was to depart. Flight 23 was instructed to return to the terminal. Whatever had been occurring

05:43on board the flight suddenly became insignificant, compared to the terrifying events unfolding across

05:48the country. The passengers were informed that they needed to gather their belongings and leave

05:54the aircraft, which was then evacuated. As the panicked passengers hurried to leave the aircraft,

06:00the four people in first class were reluctant to vacate their seats. According to one of the

06:05flight attendants, when they did eventually leave, one of the men asked her on the way out,

06:10did they get the White House? To which she replied, I have no idea. Once all the passengers had exited,

06:17the two pilots left the cockpit and walked off the empty plane. The aircraft was then checked and

06:22secured. However, something unusual occurred that would become one of the strangest aspects of this

06:27entire story. People on the ground reported seeing individuals moving inside the supposedly empty and

06:34locked aircraft. Captain Manilow promptly reported the situation to the chief pilot's office, providing

06:41detailed information that was subsequently relayed to the FBI. Authorities subsequently searched the

06:48empty plane and discovered that four of the floor hatches were open. But here is where things get strange.

06:54The hatches could not have been opened while the passengers were still on the plane, as they were

06:58too large for anyone to maneuver around, and it is believed that these hatches were opened by someone

07:03after everyone had disembarked. The only way to access the aircraft after it has been locked is through a

07:09door located underneath the plane, which can easily be opened from the outside. This door leads to the

07:15environmental and electrical compartment, where all the cockpit electronics are housed. Within the roof of

07:22that compartment is one of the floor hatches that connects to the main deck of the aircraft. This hatch was

07:27one of four discovered open, which led directly to the first class cabin. Now it's been speculated that after

07:35all the passengers left the plane, either the men in first class, or someone else on the ground, re-entered

07:40the

07:40aircraft through the door leading to the E and E compartment, possibly to retrieve something that they didn't want

07:46found, and exited through the same route. However, there is no publicly available evidence proving who opened the

07:52hatch, why it was opened, or whether anyone involved in the 9-11 plot entered the aircraft.

07:59But there was another unusual detail in this investigation. While aircraft across the United States were

08:05grounded, box cutters were reportedly found in a first class seat pocket on a United Airlines 767

08:11parked next to Flight 23 at JFK airport. Flight 23 had a tail number ending in 6002, while the neighbouring

08:21aircraft ended in 6001. Manilow later speculated that someone intending to place the weapons aboard

08:28Flight 23 may have accidentally left them on the wrong aircraft. However, this is merely his theory,

08:34and not an established conclusion of the investigation. There is currently no publicly

08:39available evidence to suggest that the box cutters were connected to the hijackers, although box cutters

08:44were discovered on various aircrafts in the aftermath of the attacks, and it is known that the

08:49terrorists used box cutters to overcome flight crews, and seized control of the four other hijacked airliners.

09:06Now, this is where the story becomes significantly more intriguing. The FBI did not simply dismiss the incident.

09:12The crew was thoroughly interviewed, with Captain Manilow recalling an FBI interview that lasted several hours.

09:19He mentioned that an agent informed him the investigators were searching for seven men

09:24who had been aboard the aircraft. Flight attendants were also questioned, and later accounts indicate

09:30that they were subjected to an identification procedure in an attempt to identify the suspicious passengers,

09:36although they were unable to.

09:39It's important to note that this situation wasn't solely about the crew recalling events years later.

09:46Contemporary reports from October 2001 indicated that the FBI was investigating whether Flight 23 had been a target for hijackers.

09:55Additionally, the New York Times reported, at that time, that the FBI was exploring the possibility

10:01that some passengers involved in the incident may have had connections to an attempted hijacking.

10:07So what happened to the suspicious passengers of United Flight 23?

10:11Well, this remains one of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding that fateful day.

10:16According to Manilow, the FBI informed him that investigators were looking for several men,

10:21but he never found out their fate, and the public records does not provide a clear explanation.

10:28Although some reports indicate that some of the individuals detained for suspicious activity

10:32at New York airports were ultimately released when investigators found no connection to the attacks.

10:38It's possible that these passengers were merely frightened individuals caught in an extraordinary situation.

10:45But then there was an email, dated September 10, 2003,

10:50emailed between 9-11 Commission staffers Janice Kepard and her colleagues, discussing an investigation by the Port Authority.

10:58The staffer noted that they had looked into claims about four Middle Eastern men associated with a cancelled JFK flight,

11:05and concluded that there is some truth in the rumours.

11:09The document describes four Saudi citizens at JFK airport on September 13,

11:14that a United Airlines employee suspected may have been the ticketed passengers for United Flight 23 on September 11,

11:22who refused to leave the flight, which had been cancelled due to the closure of air traffic.

11:28According to the Commission staff email, these four men arrived from Saudi Arabia on the morning of September 11,

11:34and were apparently scheduled to continue on to Flight 23.

11:38After that flight was cancelled, they returned to JFK on September 13 to seek refunds and or new tickets.

11:44One of the most fascinating details is that one of the four individuals possessed identification

11:50from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.

11:55This university is a private institution known worldwide for its specialization in aviation,

12:01aerospace, engineering, and related technical fields.

12:06The document also indicates that the Port Authority report mentioned the FBI had conducted 302 interviews with all four individuals.

12:16A 302 is the official summary report used by Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents

12:22to document statements made during interviews with witnesses, suspects, or victims.

12:27However, the Commission staffers did not have access to those FBI reports at the time,

12:31but the investigation was described as open and active.

12:36Additionally, Commission staff later interviewed United dispatcher Ed Ballinger about the events that morning.

12:43Remember that Ballinger was not just any United employee.

12:46He was the dispatcher responsible for managing 16 United transcontinental aircraft that morning,

12:53including Flight 175, Flight 93, and Flight 23.

12:57At that time, Flight 175 had already been hijacked, Flight 93 would soon be hijacked,

13:03and Flight 23 was on the ground, receiving Ballinger's cockpit security warning.

13:10Ballinger informed the Commission staff in 2004 that he believed his warning to Flight 23

13:15may have prevented a hijacking, based on information received from United personnel.

13:21Now, Flight 23 was not mentioned in the final 9-11 Commission report,

13:25the official document that details the events and findings surrounding the September 11th attacks.

13:31However, despite its omission, it is clear that the Commission's staff undertook an investigation

13:36into Flight 23 behind the scenes.

13:39This suggests that there were significant concerns or information related to the flight that warranted further examination,

13:46even if it did not make it into the final conclusions presented to the public.

14:00So, was United Flight 23 the forgotten 5th plane of September 11th?

14:05There are certainly enough intriguing details to keep that question alive,

14:09and although the official investigation couldn't conclusively establish that the individuals aboard Flight 23

14:15were part of the Al-Qaeda plot, or that the aircraft was intended to become a fifth weapon,

14:21it's clear that the crew on the plane that day have always believed they narrowly escaped,

14:26becoming victims of 9-11.

14:27From their perspective, the suspicious behaviour of the passengers, warnings of a possible cockpit intrusion,

14:34unusual activity aboard the aircraft after it had been evacuated,

14:37and the discoveries that followed are too many coincidences to dismiss.

14:42And most of them are too traumatised by that belief to continue working.

14:47Of course, there is the possibility that Flight 23 was never actually involved in any sinister plot,

14:52and the suspicious behaviour that raises alarms could have had an innocent and unintentional explanation.

14:58But on the other hand, in the midst of the turmoil and confusion of that tragic morning,

15:03it's also entirely plausible that an attempted fifth hijacking was thwarted,

15:08potentially saving the lives of over 160 passengers on board,

15:12and god knows how many more people depending on where it would have crashed.

15:1625 years later, we still lack the evidence needed to determine which explanation is true,

15:22at least publicly.

15:23This uncertainty is what makes Flight 23 so haunting.

15:27Unlike the other four aircraft, it fortunately did not have a final destination,

15:32a crash site, an impact, or a confirmed hijacking.

15:36Instead, it was an aircraft ready for take-off,

15:39a crew that sensed something seriously wrong,

15:41and a series of unanswered questions that remain unresolved to this day.

15:46So what do you think?

15:47Was Flight 23 the fifth plane on 9-11?

15:52Thanks for watching, stay safe everyone, and I'll see you again soon.

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