As the world remembers the tragic events of September 11, 2001, new questions continue to emerge about the details of that fateful day. One of the most concerning is why Flight 23, a United Airlines flight scheduled to take off from JFK Airport to LA, was absent from the 9/11 Commission report.

According to a new investigative documentary, TMZ Investigates: 9/11: The Fifth Plane, Flight 23’s captain, Tom Mannello, believes that his plane was intended to be part of the coordinated terrorist attack. The documentary reveals that Mannello learned that two box cutters had been found in the first-class seat pockets of the plane parked next to Flight 23, which had a tail number one digit off.

Mannello claims that “there is a good chance that somebody was plotting to try to use our airplane as a weapon of mass destruction,” and that if someone on the ground was cooperating with the terrorists, they simply made a mistake and put the box cutters on the wrong airplane.

Also read | 9/11: The Fifth Plane: Who is Tom Mannello?

The documentary also features flight attendants who share their suspicions about four people in first class on Flight 23 – two men, a child, and a person who was dressed in a hijab, with the crew believing it was a man pretending to be a woman. The crew also reported struggling to get fruit plates for their first-class flyers, who didn’t eat meat, igniting an argument between the passengers and the first-class attendant.

Despite these alarming activities, Flight 23 was absent from the 9/11 Commission report, leaving many to wonder why. The documentary reveals that 20 minutes after passengers and crew members disembarked the United flight, and the aircraft was locked, people on the ground saw two uniformed individuals running in the passenger cabin. When authorities came to investigate, they discovered an opened floor hatch, which led from the cabin to the belly of the plane.

Mannello believes that the two people may have been searching for the box cutters discovered on the neighboring plane. The flight attendants were later interviewed by the FBI, who took them to a lineup at the Port Authority to see if they could identify the four first-class passengers whose behavior drew their suspicion.

Former Rep. Carolyn Maloney expresses her concerns in the documentary, saying, “I’m deeply concerned that it could be the fifth plane. I would say that the Intelligence Committee and Congress should look at the intelligence reports that came out from this investigation that took place.”

The absence of Flight 23 from the 9/11 Commission report raises important questions about the investigation into the attacks. Was there a deliberate effort to leave this flight out of the report, or was it simply overlooked? The documentary raises concerns about the potential for a cover-up, which has left many families and friends of the victims seeking answers.

Also read | Did George Santos lie about his mother’s death in 9/11 terrorist attack?

The documentary also highlights the need for continued scrutiny and investigation into the events of September 11, 2001. While it has been more than two decades since the attacks, new information continues to emerge, reminding us of the importance of remaining vigilant and seeking the truth.

As we honor the memories of those who lost their lives on that tragic day, we must continue to demand transparency and accountability from our leaders and those tasked with investigating these types of horrific events. The absence of Flight 23 from the 9/11 Commission report is a reminder that we cannot simply accept official accounts without questioning them and demanding answers.