Images show September 11 Pentagon crash

Original Link: 
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/07/gen.pentagon.pictures/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Defense on Thursday released a series of photos taken by a security camera that show the fireball from a hijacked airliner crashing into the Pentagon on September 11.

At 9:43 a.m., a hijacked Boeing 757 slammed into part of the 29-acre complex used by uniformed and civilian employees of the U.S. military. The crash killed about 200 people, including all 64 on the plane. Tens of thousands more were evacuated.

The impact of the airliner and leaking fuel produced intense heat and a smoky blaze that contributed to the collapse of part of the Pentagon. The attack penetrated three of the building's five rings, and the fire spread through the wooden roof.

Authorities initially closed roughly one-half of the Pentagon, but most of the building was reopened within a week.

Two other jetliners hijacked on September 11 crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, causing the collapse of the twin towers and killing more than 2,800 people. A fourth hijacked airliner crashed in Pennsylvania.
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