In the early hours of September 11, 2001, 19 members of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization hijacked four planes. The 19 terrorists were able to smuggle box-cutter and knives through the security checkpoints at the three airports located on the east coast of the United States. All the early morning flights were bound for California. These specific flights were chosen because the planes would be loaded with fuel for the long journey. Shortly after taking off, the terrorist began the hijacking, taking complete control of the aircraft.
American Airlines Flight 11:
There were 76 passengers and 11 crew members aboard this flight. 5 of the 19 hijackers were on board Flight 11. Mohamed Atta (pilot of the plane), Abdul Aziz al Omari, Satam al-Saqami, Wail al-Shehri, and Waleed al-Shehri were all residing in Florida before the hijacking. All had arrived in the United States between April and June of 2001. The flight was departing Boston headed for Los Angeles, California and took off at 7:59 a.m. At 8:24 a.m., the pilot of the plane, Muhammed Atta, accidently alerted Boston's air traffic control of the hijack. Air traffic control then alerted US Air Force’s Northeast Defense Sector, who then mobilize the Air National Guard to follow the plane. Soon after, at 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower. All passengers aboard were instantly killed, and employees of the World Trade Center are trapped above the 91stfloor.
United Airline Flight 175:
This flight was also departing from Boston headed for Los Angeles. Carrying 51 passengers, 9 crew members, and the additional 5 hijackers. Marwan al-Shehhi (pilot of the plane), Ahmed al-Ghamdi, Fayez Banihammad, Hamza al-Ghamdi, and Mohand al-Shehri had all arrived in the United States in the months of May and June of 2001 with the exception if the pilot who arrived in 2000. The flight took off at 8:15 a.m. At approximately 9:03 a.m. the flight crashed into the World Trade Center’s South Tower, killing all passengers on impact.
President Bush was visiting Emma E. Booker Elementary School on the morning of September 11, 2001
Chief of Staff, Andrew Card, alerted President Bush of the attacks around 9:05 A.M.
President Bush receives new security information while on the phone in a makeshift office at the school
President Bush makes remarks from Emma E. Booker Elementary School after the attacks on the World Trade Center
American Airlines Flight 77:
Unlike the other two flights, this flight departed from Dulles airport headed for Los Angeles. There were 53 passengers, 6 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board. Hani Hanjour (pilot of the plane), Khalid al-Mihdhar, Majed Moqed, Nawaf al-Hazmi, and Salem al-Hazmi all arrived around the same time. The flight took off at 8:20 a.m. At 9:37 a.m. flight 77 crashes into the west side of the pentagon. All passengers were killed along with 125 civilian and military personnel working inside the pentagon.
United Flight 93:
Ziad Jarrah (pilot of the plane), Ahmad al-Haznawi, Ahmed al-Nami, and Saeed al-Ghamdi were the remaining four hijackers. Their flight was set to leave from Newark, New Jersey headed for San Francisco, but a routine traffic delay caused the plane to depart at 8:42 a.m. with 33 passengers and 7 crew members on board. Passengers became aware of the other hijackings and decided to run up toward the cockpit. Jarrah, the pilot, begins to roll the plane back and forth to destabilize the revolt. At 10:02 a.m. flight 93 plowed into an empty field in Pennsylvania. Its real target is unknown, but it was suspected to make its way towards The White House or The U.S. Capitol.
Bibliography:
https://millercenter.org/remembering-september-11/september-11-terrorist-attacks
https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-president-bush-911-attacks-2019-9#president-george-w-bush-participates-in-a-reading-demonstration-on-the-morning-of-tuesday-september-11-2001-at-emma-e-booker-elementary-school-in-sarasota-florida-1