Did planes crash into the WTC on 9-11?

Question

I was looking through the questions tagged 9-11 and noticed the no-planes theory isn't on here. So:

Were there planes that crashed into the WTC? Some examples of notable claims asserting otherwise are here , here, and here.

Another article elaborates, and claims the following: (note: these are scattered throughout the article)

The first to notice that American Airlines Flights 11 and 77 were not even scheduled to fly on 9/11

Edward Hendrie has published the data tables for both of these alleged flights, where it turns out that the BTS subsequently revised their tables with partial data in order to cover up their absence.

Even more surprisingly, however, Pilots has also determined that United Flight 175 was in the air in the vicinity of Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA, at the time it was purportedly crashing into the South Tower in New York City. This may come as quite a shock to those who watched as it entered the South Tower on television. Indeed, when an FBI official was asked why the NTSB, for the first time in its history, had not investigated any of these four crashes, he replied that it wasn’t necessary “because we saw them on television”. Well, we didn’t see the Shanksville crash or the Pentagon crash on TV, which leaves us wondering what we did see on television on 9/11.

The footage of the South Tower hit exemplifies several anomalies, including a Boeing 767 flying at an impossible speed, an impossible entry into the building (in violation of Newton’s laws), and even passing through its own length into the building in the same number of frames it passes through its own length in air—which is impossible, unless this 500,000 ton, steel and concrete building posed no more resistance to its trajectory in flight than air. Some have claimed that this was a “special plane” that could fly faster than a standard Boeing 767, but no real plane could violate Newton’s laws.

Answer 1

Yes: National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, CyberCemetery:

The first to notice that American Airlines Flights 11 and 77 were not even scheduled to fly on 9/11

There is no evidence to support this claim.

Pilots has also determined that United Flight 175 was in the air in the vicinity of Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA, at the time it was purportedly crashing into the South Tower in New York City.

There is no evidence to support this claim. They say "Pilots has also determined". How? Via what evidence? This is not disclosed.

The footage of the South Tower hit exemplifies several anomalies including a Boeing 767 flying at an impossible speed

It was travelling at approximately 513 knots, not impossible.

an impossible entry into the building (in violation of Newton's laws)

They don't describe at all what makes the claimed entry impossible or a violation of physics, so this is not worth debunking.

and even passing through its own length into the building in the same number of frames it passes through its own length in air—which is impossible

The frame rate of video does not yield the resolution necessary to notice all rates of deceleration.

The aircraft decelerated from 513 knots to a speed close to 0 knots. Some debris had enough momentum to be carried through the building and was ejected for several blocks surrounding the tower.

unless this 500,000 ton, steel and concrete building posed no more resistance to its trajectory in flight than air

The aircraft was not stopped by a 500,000 ton, steel and concrete building. It was stopped by the structure of up to three floors of that building.

Answer 2

We don't need the video evidence. Even without the footage from many angles, there is a plethora of eye-witness accounts testifying that a plane hit the South Tower.

Here's a small sample.

At that time Chief Ganci was behind me and he thought there was another explosion in the north tower and that's when I turned around and said Chief, listen, there is a second plane that hit the other tower. He was like no no no no, we have another explosion. I said no, Chief, I witnessed it. I watched the plane hit the other tower. He is like are you sure. I said Chief, I'm 100 hundred percent positive I watched the second plane hit the other tower. FDNY firefighter Scott Holowach

"I just happened to raise my head watching the Statue of Liberty and as I watched I saw this giant aircraft... coming in slow motion towards me -- eye level, eye contact. And I just froze."

At some point after our arrival and after we had moved to the west side of West Street, I heard a loud roar of a jet, looked up and saw the second plane impact the south tower. At that point it was clear to me it was a terrorist attack. We stepped over small airplane aviation parts, on Vesey, continued west, continued looking at the building. FDNY Chief Daniel Nigro

At that time, I started walking towards Engine 3. Engine 3 drove south to the south pedestrian bridge to make a U turn to come back and as I'm walking towards the Engine to find out what Lieutenant Walsh wanted us to do, I heard the sound of a jet plane. I looked up and saw it pretty close and I was like holy shit. What's going on with the with the flight patterns. All of a sudden, the wings turned and it dove right into the building and it was screwed up.

Upon that time I heard a plane roar. I had my window down and on my side we saw a plane flying very low come right across us and with a loud, you know, the engines revved up, and I had mentioned to him, I had no idea that it was heading towards that way, and I just said like where is this guy going, you know, he was extremely low, not realizing it was another plane heading towards the World Trade, and we saw it struck the building, we saw a big mushroom of flame, of fire coming up, and it was like disbelief, and he had gotten on the radio and notified the dispatcher another plane had struck the World Trade Center. FDNY firefighter Stephen Zasa

"While assisting a female burn victim, I observed PO Rivero look up towards the WTC tower #2. At this time the undersigned heard the sound of jet engines and observed an aircraft with a blue color tail fly directly into the south face of WTC Tower #2. Following the impact an enormous explosion occurred causing debris to begin to fall down all around the WTC complex." PAPD PO James Hall Source (pg. 5)

Eye-witnesses are not the most reliable source of evidence, but here they consistently corroborate the video, with no significant contingent of witnesses making counter-claims, so the "no plane" theory isn't sustainable, and falls into the "so clearly untrue it is offensive" category.

Answer 3

The footage of the South Tower hit exemplifies several anomalies, including a Boeing 767 flying at an impossible speed, an impossible entry into the building

There is ample documentation and physical evidence of aircraft parts at and near the WTC site in the day after crash that seem improbable without there having been an impact.

http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/evidence/aircraft.html

Others have mentioned that the speed was not impossible for a 767.

(in violation of Newton’s laws), and even passing through its own length into the building in the same number of frames it passes through its own length in air—which is impossible,

This is more consistent with video abnormalities than with an impact not occurring. There is plenty of video of wheels seeming to move backwards as the vehicle moves forward, in violation of newton's laws. When using video as evidence you need to take into account the limits of that technology.

unless this 500,000 ton, steel and concrete building posed no more resistance to its trajectory in flight than air. Some have claimed that this was a “special plane” that could fly faster than a standard Boeing 767, but no real plane could violate Newton’s laws.

All of the physical evidence matches the types of aircraft and is consistent with a impact. The fact that much of the aircraft was turned into 100 micron powder is consistent with an impact as described in the official record. I can assure that F=MA and that the F of impact was sufficient for the plane to enter the building as in the official record, with much of the mass turning into a powder.

They provide no evidence of a special plane nor a reason why it might have violated Newton’s laws.

Answer 4

Live footage from multiple sources clearly show an object hitting the 2nd tower... in several the silhouette of a plane is readily visible... Here is a good compilation of LIVE feeds with the network identified: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMQWzdc175A... All I can say is this shouldn't even be debatable anymore...