Rare 9/11 Helicopter Video of South Tower Impact Goes Viral on X
A rare helicopter video of the second plane striking the South Tower on September 11, 2001, has gone viral on X, garnering over 16 million views and sparking a debate on how the tragedy is taught to younger generations.
Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a rare video capturing the moment the second plane struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter). The footage, filmed from a helicopter, has sparked intense discussion among younger users, many of whom are seeing it for the first time.
Re-shared by user Shannon Ford (@shannonfordUSA), the video has amassed over 16 million views since September 2, an unusually high figure for an account with only about 14,000 followers. The clip shows the second plane hitting the South Tower from an angle that has remained largely unfamiliar to the public.
The Story Behind the Footage
The video was captured by reporter John Del Giorno, who was in a helicopter over New York after the first plane struck the North Tower. Speaking to Eyewitness News in 2022, Del Giorno recalled the exact moment he recorded the impact:
"I spun the camera around, pointed it over there, leaned down to hit play and record on the old deck, looked at the monitor—and the fireball was there. It started to sink in immediately... We knew at that point a second plane had hit the World Trade Center. I was in shock for a second."
Del Giorno witnessed the second aircraft approaching the South Tower in real-time. His footage provided immediate, undeniable proof that the event was a coordinated terrorist attack rather than an accident.
Public Reaction and Authenticity Verification
The resurgence of the video comes amid a broader debate in the US and the UK regarding how the events of September 11 are taught to a generation born after 2001. On social media, viewers expressed shock. One user wrote, "I have never seen this video. How horrific." Another commented, "My God. I've never seen this footage before." One poignant response read, "I can't explain it, but this is the moment the '90s died."
In an era dominated by AI-generated content, some users questioned the video's authenticity. Grok, the AI assistant on X, confirmed the footage is genuine:
"This matches verified 2001 archival footage of Flight 175 striking the South Tower, including known angles... The details align with real recordings rather than typical AI-generated artifacts. It appears to be authentic."
Educating the Next Generation
Peter Rosengard, founder of the educational charity SINCE 9/11, spoke to Jewish News about the critical need to teach the history of the attacks to school-aged children, none of whom were alive when the tragedy occurred.
"Some hoped that 9/11 was so horrific that it would wake the world up to the futility and pain of terrorism. But international terrorism has grown. There is a greater need than ever to build an understanding among young people that violence and terrorism never solve the world's problems."
SINCE 9/11 conducts workshops addressing extremism, conspiracy theories, and racism, while providing free educational resources about the attacks to schools.
