NIST Admits the South WTC Tower Collapsed at the Rate of Free-Fall in a Vacuum

6. How could the WTC towers collapse in only 11 seconds (WTC 1) and 9 seconds (WTC 2)—speeds that approximate that of a ball dropped from similar height in a vacuum (with no air resistance)?

NIST estimated the elapsed times for the first exterior panels to strike the ground after the collapse initiated in each of the towers to be approximately 11 seconds for WTC 1 and approximately 9 seconds for WTC 2.

Otherwise, this list of answers to "frequently asked questions" is a huge doughy load of crap.

For instance:

NIST’s findings also do not support the “controlled demolition” theory since there is conclusive evidence that:
--the collapse was initiated in the impact and fire floors of the WTC towers and nowhere else, and;
--the time it took for the collapse to initiate (56 minutes for WTC 2 and 102 minutes for WTC 1) was dictated by (1) the extent of damage caused by the aircraft impact, and (2) the time it took for the fires to reach critical locations and weaken the structure to the point that the towers could not resist the tremendous energy released by the downward movement of the massive top section of the building at and above the fire and impact floors.

Well, there's some logic for ya!

The extent of their evidence that it was not controlled demolition is that the collapses started where the initial impacts were AND by the timing of something they could only estimate (extent of damage and time of fires).

That's really weak.

Here is some lawyerly wording:

"there was no evidence (collected by NIST, or by the New York Police Department, the Port Authority Police Department or the Fire Department of New York) of any blast or explosions in the region below the impact and fire floors as the top building sections (including and above the 98th floor in WTC 1 and the 82nd floor in WTC 2) began their downward movement upon collapse initiation."

Got that? There was no evidence of explosions below the impact and fire floors AS the top building sections...began their downward movement ...

But was there evidence of explosions below the impact and fire floors RIGHT AFTER the top building sections began their downward movement???

Also, was there evidence of explosions RIGHT BEFORE the top building sections began their downward movement???

Why only "AS the top building sections...began their downward movement"???

(Well, you know the answer)

Not to mention that their lawyerly statement also leaves room for explosions at, or above, "the impact and fire floors as the top building sections ... began their downward movement upon collapse initiation."

But basically, NIST says that there was column damage and there were fires, and shit happened-- and it wasn't pancaking but they don't know WHAT happened except that things fell fast.