Rare footage of the second plane striking the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, has resurfaced online, offering a chilling close-up view of the moment that confirmed the attacks were intentional.
Originally broadcast by CNN on the day of the attacks, the footage was uploaded to YouTube 12 years ago but is only now being widely rediscovered.
On that tragic morning, four planes were hijacked by al-Qaeda. Two crashed into the Twin Towers, one struck the Pentagon, and the fourth, believed to be targeting the White House or U.S. Capitol, was brought down in a Pennsylvania field. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, with thousands more injured.
The video captures the North Tower engulfed in smoke after being hit by Flight 11. Moments later, Flight 175 appears, hurtling toward the South Tower before crashing into floors 77 to 85. Within just 17 minutes, both towers had been struck. Onlookers in the streets could be heard screaming in shock and horror.
Viewers reacting to the rediscovered clip described it as one of the most haunting angles of the attack.
“That angle really shows the speed upon impact, and the roar of the jet engine really freaked people out,” one person commented.
Another wrote, “The moment we knew this wasn’t an accident. The world was never the same after this. Rest in peace.”
Some noted how difficult it has become to find certain 9/11 footage: “This used to be the most replayed angle, but now I have to search hard just to find it.”
Others reflected on the emotional weight of the footage, with one person saying, “Every time I watch clips from that day, I have to remind myself it’s real. It feels like something from a movie, but it actually happened. Even 20 years later, I still cry.”
For many, the video serves as a stark reminder of the day that changed the world forever.
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