Chris Plant, helicopter, Pentagon, CNN, 9/11, 09:48

Chris Plant, helicopter, Pentagon, CNN, 9/11, 09:48

PLANT: Well, and speaking to people here at the Pentagon, as they’re being evacuated from the building. I’m told by several people that there was, in fact, an explosion.

I was told by one witness, an Air Force enlisted – senior enlisted man, that he was outside when it occurred. He said that he saw a helicopter circle the building. He said it appeared to be a U.S. military helicopter, and that it disappeared behind the building where the helicopter landing zone is – excuse me – and he then saw fireball go into the sky.

I’m attempting to make my way around to that side of the building in my car right now to see if I can get a better visual perspective on the scene on that side of the building. But I can tell you that security has certainly clamped down. The U.S. Park Police another federal law enforcement department, has arrived in force on the scene. There is a Park Police helicopter overhead, every car arrives at the gates where I was located was being stopped by officers at gun point, everyone is being forced out of their vehicles as they arrive at the Pentagon.

It’s a very tense situation obviously, but initial reports from witnesses indicate that there was in fact a helicopter circling the building, contrary to what the AP reported, according to the witnesses I’ve spoken to anyway, and that this helicopter disappeared behind the building, and that there was then an explosion. That’s about all I have from here.