American Airlines Flight 77

American Airlines Flight 77 was a scheduled American Airlines domestic transcontinental flight that operated from Washington Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. On September 11, 2001, the flight was hi-jacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists, led by Hani Hanjour, a Saudi Arabian national, who intentionally crashed the plane into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, as part of the September 11 attacks, which also included United Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, and United Airlines Flight 93. The crash of the Boeing 757-223 into the Pentagon resulted in the deaths of all 64 people on board, including the five hijackers, as well as 125 people in the Pentagon, with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney being notified of the attack while at Emma E. Booker Elementary School and the White House respectively. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were involved in the subsequent investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

● Introduction

The events surrounding the hijacking and crash of the flight were part of a larger coordinated attack by al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, which also targeted the World Trade Center in New York City, with United Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crashing into the North Tower and South Tower respectively. The September 11 attacks resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people, including the passengers and crew of the four hijacked planes, with New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York Governor George Pataki playing key roles in the response to the attacks. The Pentagon crash site was near the offices of the United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers. The American Red Cross and other organizations provided assistance to the victims and their families, with support from President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

● Background

The Boeing 757-223 aircraft, registered as N644AA, was a narrow-body aircraft with a capacity for 188 passengers, and was crewed by Captain Charles Burlingame and First Officer David Charlebois. The flight departed from Washington Dulles International Airport at 8:20 a.m., bound for Los Angeles International Airport, with a scheduled arrival time of 11:28 a.m., and was carrying 64 people, including the five hijackers. The passengers included Barbara Olson, a television personality and wife of United States Solicitor General Theodore Olson, as well as National Geographic photographer William E. Caswell. The flight was also carrying United States Navy personnel, including Lieutenant Commander Robert Randolph and Lieutenant Commander Michael Selves. The Federal Aviation Administration had received reports of suspicious activity on the flight, but was unable to respond in time to prevent the hijacking.

● Hijacking and Crash

At 8:51 a.m., the hijackers, who were armed with box cutters and knives, stormed the cockpit and overpowered the pilots, with Hani Hanjour taking control of the plane. The hijackers then deliberately crashed the plane into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., causing significant damage and loss of life, with the impact and subsequent fires killing 125 people in the Pentagon. The crash was witnessed by numerous people, including Arlington County residents and Pentagon employees, with CNN and other news organizations providing live coverage of the event. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies quickly responded to the scene, with FBI Director Robert Mueller and Attorney General John Ashcroft playing key roles in the investigation. The Pentagon crash was part of a larger coordinated attack, which also included the World Trade Center attacks, and was intended to inflict maximum damage and casualties on the United States.

● Aftermath

The crash of the plane into the Pentagon resulted in a significant emergency response, with firefighters and paramedics from Arlington County and surrounding areas responding to the scene. The American Red Cross and other organizations provided assistance to the victims and their families, with support from President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. The Pentagon was evacuated, and the surrounding area was cordoned off, with the FBI and other agencies conducting a thorough investigation of the crash site. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration also conducted investigations into the crash, with assistance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The September 11 attacks led to a significant increase in security measures at airports and other transportation hubs, with the Transportation Security Administration being established to oversee aviation security.

● Investigation

The investigation into the crash of the plane was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. The investigation found that the hijackers had used box cutters and knives to overpower the pilots, and had deliberately crashed the plane into the Pentagon. The investigation also found that the hijackers had been planning the attack for several months, and had used fake identification and other tactics to evade detection. The 9/11 Commission Report provided a detailed account of the events surrounding the September 11 attacks, including the hijacking and crash of the plane, with the report being released in 2004. The Pentagon crash was also the subject of numerous other investigations and reports, including those by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The September 11 attacks led to a significant increase in counter-terrorism efforts, with the USA PATRIOT Act being passed to expand the authority of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prevent terrorism.