From the Washington Post - a fair amount of journalistic license, however this does support the belief that the terrorists involved had considerable depth of knowledge of the aircraft.
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The hijacked jetliner that slammed into the Pentagon had been flying directly at the White House but made a sharp turn at the last minute before it crashed into the US military headquarters, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Citing unnamed sources, the report said American Airlines Flight 77 seemed to be on a suicide mission into the White House Tuesday until the unidentified pilot executed a fighter jet maneuver, circling 270 degrees to to approach the Pentagon from the west.
The Post said someone on board turned off the transponder, the device that sends a plane's airline identification, flight number, speed and altitude to controllers' radar screens. The actions suggest the plane was flown with extraordinary skill, probably by a trained pilot was at the helm, with someone who knew how to turn off the transponder.
It said controllers had time to warn the White House that the jet was aimed directly at the presidential mansion at full speed.
The report said the FBI had asked airline, airport and security officials not to divulge details of the flight.
Pentagon officials had no estimate of the killed, missing and wounded from the Boeing 757, which collapsed a large section of the building's west side.
Reports that as many 800 people were dead were "completely inaccurate," a Pentagon official said speaking on condition of anonymity.