Back to Search ResultsIncident Summary:
09/11/2001: This was one of four related attacks that occurred in the United States that are known collectively as the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. In the third of these attacks, which occurred at 9:37 am local time, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Five hijackers belonging to Al-Qaida hijacked the Boeing 757 aircraft on a flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to for Los Angeles International Airport and proceeded to fly the plane into the western side of the Pentagon. At least 190 people died as a result of the attack at the Pentagon. There were 53 passengers, six crew members and five hijackers on the plane, all of whom died on impact. In addition, 125 people died in the Pentagon due to the impact or in the resulting fire, and at least one first responder died as a result of illness contracted due to exposure to contaminants at the attack site. More than 100 people were injured. Al-Qaida leaders including Osama bin Laden and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attacks in multiple videotaped interviews.Overview
GTD ID:
200109110006
When:
2001-09-11
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Virginia
City:
Arlington
What
| Type of Attack (more) | Armed Assault |
| Type of Attack (more) | Hijacking |
| Successful Attack? (more) | Yes |
| Target Type: Airports and Aircraft | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Entity | American Airlines | ||
| Specific Description | American Airlines-owned Boeing 757 passenger jet aircraft | ||
| Nationality of Target | United States | ||
| Target Type: Government (General) | |||
| Name of Entity | Civilians | ||
| Specific Description | Passengers and crew members on American Airlines Flight 77 | ||
| Nationality of Target | Multinational | ||
| Target Type: Military | |||
| Name of Entity | United States Department of Defense | ||
| Specific Description | The Pentagon | ||
| Nationality of Target | United States | ||
| Hostages | Yes |
| Number of Hostages | 59 |
| US Hostages | 56 |
| Hours of Kidnapping | 1 |
| Outcome | Hostage(s) killed (not during rescue attempt) |
| Ransom | No |
| Property Damage | Yes |
| Extent of Property Damage | Catastrophic (likely > $1 billion) |
| Value of Property Damage | Unknown |
How
| Type | Sub-type |
|---|---|
| Vehicle (not to include vehicle-borne explosives, i.e., car or truck bombs) | |
| Incendiary | Gasoline or Alcohol |
| Melee | Knife or Other Sharp Object |
| Weapon Details | |
| The attackers reportedly gained control of the plane using sharp objects resembling knives or other sharpened metal objects. The attackers turned the airplane into a missile when flying it into the west side of the Pentagon. The airplane's jet fuel ignited the building and resulted in a massive fire. Mace may have also been used in subduing the passengers and crew members. | |
| Suicide Attack? | Yes |
| Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
| Criterion 1 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 2 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 3 (more) | Yes |
| Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) | No |
| Additional Information | This attack was one of four related incidents (cf. 200109110004-07). As the aircraft approached the Pentagon it clipped several street lamps, one of which fell onto a taxi cab, injuring the driver, Lloyd England. The aircraft's right wing hit a portable generator that provided backup power for the Pentagon and the left engine hit an external steam vault before it slammed into the Pentagon. American Airlines Flight 77 departed Washington Dulles International Airport at 8:20 am local time. The airplane was hijacked sometime between 8:51 and 8:54 am. Since the aircraft crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 am, the hijacking lasted between 40-43 minutes. Details on the number of people wounded in the attacks are very difficult to confirm. The numbers reported in the GTD are conservative estimates for immediate casualties, first responders, and residents, based on documentation for the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund (VCF). |
Who
| Group Name | Claimed Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Al-Qaida | Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Video) |
| Number of Perpetrators | 5 |
| Number of Captured Perpetrators | 0 |
| Total Number of Casualties | 190 Fatalities / 106 Injured |
| Total Number of Fatalities | 190 |
| Number of U.S. Fatalities | 182 |
| Number of Perpetrator Fatalities | 5 |
| Total Number of Injured | 106 |
| Number of U.S. Injured | Unknown |
| Number of Perpetrators Injured | 0 |
Sources
| United States Government, The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 2004. |
| Lindsay Kines, “United States on high alert after thousands feared dead: Airlines initially blame hijackers for attacks on the Pentagon in Washington, New York's World Trade Center,” The Vancouver Sun, September 11, 2001. |
| "Plane Crashes Into Pentagon; Troops Deployed in Response," Associated Press, September 11, 2001. |
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