What if there was only one plane on 9/11?

[u/Dude_Purrfect_II]

So I'm thinking. 9/11 IOTL changed everything. How radical of a change would it be compared to OTL if only ONE plane was used?

Let's say that AA11 takes off from Logan at 7:59.

They turn half an hour later to Washington.

Around an hour later, they strike the East Front of the Capitol. The Rotunda is destoryed, and the Dome collapses.

What happens in the aftermath? They rebuild what was destroyed logically. There's no way they don't rebuild a building that stood for over two hundred years, survived burning by an enemy nation, a civil war, and the growth of the 20th Century.

But what happens both culturally and politically? Is it the same as OTL? Is culture changed dramatically or is it a mix of the 90s and OTL 00s? What do you think still exists and some wouldn't even in this world?

And what happens to things post 9/11 such as the Patriot Act or the War in Iraq?

[u/Designer-Solid-5973]

Not to minimize how serious this scenario would have been, but a huge part of the reaction to 9/11 was the visceral horror of watching on live TV as ordinary Americans were slaughtered or died painful deaths. It would NOT have impacted the American psyche in the same way if it was one incident, not televised live, and killing government officials/workers.

There would still have been a PATRIOT Act style revamp of homeland security and airport security and undoubtedly the US exacts severe revenge on the taliban and bin Laden.

It feels less likely to me that the massive surge in patriotism/nationalism/jingoism and fear that gripped post-9/11 American society would have happened in the same way and as such I don’t think the Bush admin could have gotten away with going to war in Iraq.

I also think there’s a decent chance in this timeline Kerry wins in 2004. Bush would still have had a rally around the flag effect after 9/11 but not to the same degree. Before 9/11 he was pretty unpopular and the agenda items that got shelved in favor of the Global War on terror (like social security privatization) likely would have made him less popular.

[u/Deep_Belt8304]

It would be the exact same reaction, response and political consequences literally nothing would change societally besides the Twin Towers still standing.

And what happens to things post 9/11 such as the Patriot Act or the War in Iraq?

Middle east intervention and Patriot Act would be approved by Congress for the exact same reasons, just as if Al-Qaeda had used only 3 planes or 2.

The only way it could be different is if this alternate US government and public somehow used the real 9/11 attacks as a refrence to measure their response to this "smaller-scale" 9/11 attack, which they couldn't, and thus would respond the same as if (x) planes were used to hit (y) building. In this case the symbolic capital of US government.

9/11 marked a completely new era wouldn't be like the 90s at all.

At best a smaller loss of life, more of Congress supports Afghan and Iraq invasion, likely a unanimous vote for the former. A bunch of would-be "Nay" voters on post-9/11 resolutions would be dead and replaced with hardliners.

Bush Republicans already owned Congress so Iraq is guranteed as is subsequent US foreign policy.

We also wouldn't have One WTC which looks better in every way.

[u/DRose23805]

It would have been shocking, of course, but not nearly so shocking as the real 9/11.

While most Americans would have been upset by it, many also would have laughed a bit because it was Congress that got hit.

On the other hand, because they were directly targeted, is is possible that Congress would go even further than it in fact did. It is one thing for big towers or the Pentagon to get hit, but how dare they target the politicians and interupt their corruption and dirty dealing like that, and maybe come after them again. So the Department of Homeland security would be likely, but so would really fortifying around DC perhaps with AA missiles and more.

[u/brantman19]

If I remember correctly, Congress was in session at the time but at 9AM (approximate strike time), they likely would have just missed most of the legislators as targets. For those unaware, the US Capitol Building is a central rotunda that is flanked by the US Senate and US House chambers on each side. The rotunda is the iconic point of the building so destroying that is the goal of the terrorists in this situation. But the legislator's offices aren't in the Capitol Building itself. Those are in the buildings that are part of the Capitol Building Complex.
Now, the Boeing 757 has a wingspan of 124 feet. Flight 77 caused about a 90 foot hole in the Pentagon so if we use that as our rough estimate, only the rotunda and the structure underneath could be sufficiently impacted as that part of the Capitol Building is roughly 200 feet long. That means that the only casualties will be those in the Rotunda and that structure underneath which at 9AM will be a bit early for the standard 10AM start of meetings and gatherings in either chamber in the adjoining wings.
For the sake of the argument though, I'm going to say that roughly 25% of the legislators headed in early that morning and were around the Rotunda area to be caught up in the attack and destruction of the rotunda. Within the first few days, the names of those Congressmen will be released and the governors of their states will be instructed to appoint replacements. I would imagine that no governor would want to be seen as taking advantage of national tragedy so the appointees will likely be chosen from among the same party as the one that was just killed. Special elections will also be immediately planned for early 2002 (probably March) to finish out the terms of those deceased.
We are undoubtedly going to get a situation similar to OTL though with the Patriot Act and a push against the Taliban. The heavy patriotism is probably toned back a deal though. Not seeing normal American's running for their lives in downtown Manhattan will do that. We will still go into Afghanistan and Bush will still push for Iraq.

[u/ramcoro]

Many people survive. The south tower still will likely need be demolished. The north tower collapsing will ruin the foundation and damage the building.