Back then there was a lot, and I mean a lot of misinformation and conjecture during and after 9/11. I have still to this day a briefcase full of VHS tapes I used to record that day's events and looking back on it all the media was suspecting all kinds of crap up to and including a bomb on the Brooklyn bridge. Even before the second plane hit there was speculation. Then I remember after the second plane hit John Scott on FoxNews say something like, and I'll paraphrase, "this has to be deliberate folks. Osama bin laden comes to mind."
It's interesting how the hijackers used Flight Simulator back then to help train. Now being an avid flight simmer myself who knows his fair share about the game and some aviation, the Sims now a days are absolutely unbelievable albeit quite old and archaic by today's gaming standards. I for one practically learned how to fly a 737NG, know all the bells and whistles and program the FMC. I did it for hours on end every single damn day. In the Sim its self I have well over 3000 hours at least. Now back then you simply didn't have planes that fostered and simulated all the technological gadgetry like they have today. It's really quite remarkable.