9/11's Unsolved Puzzle: Mystery Surrounding The Unflown Fifth Plane

Twenty-two years ago, the world bore witness to a series of meticulously coordinated suicide terrorist attacks orchestrated by al-Qaeda against the United States. In these horrifying events, 19 terrorists commandeered four commercial airliners. Two of these planes were tragically steered into New York City's iconic Twin Towers, part of the World Trade Center.

Simultaneously, a third plane was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon, while the fourth met its end in rural Pennsylvania. There have been various theories suggesting the existence of a fifth plane that might have also been a target for the terrorists.

It remains unclear whether United Airlines Captain Tom Manello's aircraft was involved in the terrorist plot. “I now believe that it is more likely than not that we were the fifth airplane,” Manello in a TV interview as reported by The Independent.

The documentary titled "9/11: The Fifth Plane" by TMZ featured interviews with Mandello and three members of his flight crew. This documentary was also broadcast on Fox. According to the investigation conducted by the online tabloid, there were indications that the terrorists might have targeted United Airlines Flight 23. However, their sinister plan was aborted due to a delay in the flight.

Nevertheless, the FBI or any other US government agency's investigation never officially stated that Manello's flight was a part of the terror plot. “It raises the question: if there could have been a fifth aircraft, then could there have been even more than that? And would any of those aircraft be intended to attack other cities in the US?” the president of the Atmosphere Research Group told The Independent.

Nevertheless, he harbored skepticism about certain assertions presented in the documentary. According to available information, United Flight 23 was slated for departure at approximately 9 a.m. from JFK Airport in New York City. Similar to other aircraft utilized by terrorists, it was en route to Los Angeles on a cross-country journey.

Mystery of the fifth plane:
Flight attendant Sandy Thorngren observed a visibly anxious passenger seated in the business class cabin. Despite wearing just a T-shirt, the passenger appeared to be perspiring heavily. The lead flight attendant, identified only as Deborah in the documentary, became involved in a heated disagreement with four passengers, one of whom was a woman wearing a niqab.

Thorngren and another flight attendant, Barbara Brockie Smaldino, observed that the individual wearing the niqab turned out to be a man, as they noticed his large hands with hair on the back of them. Thorngren disclosed this information during an interview with TMZ.

United Flight 23 faced delays in taking off from JFK Airport on September 11, 2001, due to the high traffic volume. It found itself in a queue behind nearly ten other planes. Unfortunately, Mr. Manello's flight had not yet departed when the second plane struck the Twin Towers. Consequently, airport authorities initiated an evacuation of the aircraft. However, ground personnel observed an individual running inside the plane even after all the passengers had disembarked.

The day following the terror attack, the FBI conducted interviews with all the crew members of United Flight 23. According to The Independent's report, boxcutters and small knives were discovered hidden in a seat-back pocket of a different aircraft adjacent to Manello's plane.

Nonetheless, the question of whether a fifth plan was utilized in the 9/11 terror attacks, which tragically claimed over 3,000 lives, remains unanswered.