Trivia: This is the only movie in the series besides Terminator 3 where Kyle Reese is not seen or mentioned. Coincidentally, both T3 and Dark Fate feature a Terminator that killed John Connor, albeit in different timelines.
Trivia: The song "Guitars Cadillacs" from Dwight Yoakam can be heard when the Rev 9 is falling from the sky, that song was used in T2.
Trivia: SPOILER! John Connor's death scene during the opening marks the first time since the original film that Arnold as the Terminator has killed a human.
Answer: The simplest answer is, this is a movie, and movies often exaggerate, change, or fabricate details that logically could never occur in real-life. This is a perfect example of a deliberately faked action sequence that is contrived solely to entertain the audience by employing a 'suspension of disbelief.' It's more exciting and suspenseful to be able to see the plane crash, even though, as you point out, it realistically would be miles away by that time.
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