dMole: Any Boeing engineer, worth his diploma, wouldn't make such silly claims about these " speeds." The numbers are of course, way too low, that it is laughable.

Jet aircraft, after departure climb at 250 KIAS (287 SLMPH) until reaching 10,000 feet. This is done because the maximum indicated airspeed below that altitude is 250 kts. Obviously, during climb, the TAS increases.

On this descent of 8,000 ft./min. Almost nothing can descend at that rate. The worst way to try to get an airplane down as fast as possible is to lower the nose and reduce the power. You'll get a good rate of descent alright, but not 8,000 FT./Min. Emergency descents in jet aircraft are performed by slowing the plane to Vge, lowering the landing gear, and establishing a certain speed given by that AC's flight manual. This procedure will get you down faster than any other method.

I can readily believe that the second aircraft struck the North tower around 500 MPH. To do so, it would take the application of full-power and a slight dive, but it could be done. That aircraft will not attain a speed of 500 MPH in level flight at that low altitude.

Something else of interest about aircraft in general. Sometime in the 1980's, a disgruntled/fired employee of PSA airlines in CA entered the cockpit of a BAE-146 and shot both pilots. He then pushed the control wheel down and entered a vertical dive until the aircraft impacted the ground near Paso Robles, CA. Witnesses stated they heard two explosions prior to impact. The first, was the sonic boom created by this not very aerodynamic 4 engine jet . . .the second explosion was the aircraft's vertical impact. NTSB determined there was no aircraft parts far away from the wreckage. This indicates the aircraft did not breakup while exceeding the speed of sound. A B767 could very easily exceed the speed of sound in a powered steep descent. Of course, I don't feel any of this reflects on 9-11-01.

Also, the quick turn to the left just before the aircraft hit the North tower, I an sure, was NOT this pilot getting " more bang for the buck " in attempting to create a more vertical impact zone! It is my opinion this pilot(?) experienced what sky-divers call " ground rush." Ever see skydivers floating in the air as it appears? Not so when a free-falling object gets within about 1000 ft. of the ground and moving about 125 MPH. That ground suddenly comes up at an alarming rate. I feel this is what happened to this B767's pilot. 2-3 miles away from the WTC, no matter what the speed, the closure appears minimal. Just aim your nose at something until you hit it, right? Wrong! What appears to be a straight course to an object at miles is not particularly true. Those last few thousand feet will show the error of your ways and as the " rush " effect becomes clear . . . the pilot will have to do some quick last second course corrections to hit what is being aimed at.