Marwan al-Shehhi

Marwan al-Shehhi
Born	Marwan Yousef Mohamed Rashid Lekrab al-Shehhi (1978-05-09) 9 May 1978 Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Died	11 September 2001(2001-09-11) (aged 23) South Tower, World Trade Center, New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Hijacker, pilot
Years active	1996–2001
Known for	Hijacking United Airlines Flight 175 and piloting it into the South Tower during the September 11 attacks

Marwan Yousef Mohamed Rashid Lekrab al-Shehhi (; 9 May 1978 – 11 September 2001) was an Emirati national and member of al-Qaeda, known for hijacking United Airlines Flight 175 and piloting the Boeing 767 that struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks. He was among five hijackers aboard the flight and one of two individuals from the United Arab Emirates involved, alongside Fayez Banihammad.

Originating from the United Arab Emirates, al-Shehhi relocated to Germany in 1996, where he became part of the Hamburg cell alongside Mohamed Atta, Ziad Jarrah, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh. After committing themselves to martyrdom, they emerged as principal architects of the attacks. Towards the end of 1999, they underwent training at camps in Afghanistan and met Osama bin Laden, who enlisted them for the assault on the United States. Al-Shehhi entered the United States in May 2000, arriving one month prior to Atta. By early 2001, he, Atta, and Jarrah had earned commercial pilot certificates from Huffman Aviation in Florida.

Al-Shehhi played a significant role in organizing logistical aspects of the operation, including coordinating meetings with overseas planners and facilitating the arrival of other hijackers. On 9 September 2001, he traveled from Florida to Boston and lodged at the Milner Hotel before boarding United Airlines Flight 175 at Logan International Airport on 11 September. Approximately thirty minutes after takeoff, al-Shehhi and four accomplices seized control of the aircraft; at 9:03 a.m., he deliberately flew the Boeing 767 into floors 77 through 85 of the South Tower, shortly after Mohamed Atta crashed into the North Tower. At just 23 years old, he was the youngest pilot among the hijackers. The collision was broadcast live globally. The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m., resulting in hundreds of deaths including nearly 900 office workers and first responders.

Early life

Born on 9 May 1978 in Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, al-Shehhi was the son of an Emirati Muslim cleric and an Egyptian mother. Details regarding his early years remain scarce; his paternal lineage connected him to the Shihuh tribe. According to an October 2001 The New York Times report, even residents of his hometown had limited knowledge about him.

During his studies in Germany, his instructor Gabriele Bock characterized him as someone uncertain about his future plans. After completing a German language course, al-Shehhi enrolled at the University of Bonn, but left in June 1997 due to family matters despite university policies against such interruptions. In early 1998, he transferred to the Technical University of Hamburg, where his academic performance was weak. Scholarship officials recommended that he repeat a semester at Bonn in August 1998; however, he only resumed studies there in January 1999 and continued to face academic difficulties. By July 1999, he returned to Hamburg to pursue studies in shipbuilding.

In 1999, al-Shehhi entered into an arranged marriage with Fawzeya, organized by his half-brother; their wedding celebration took place in January 2000.

Radicalization

Upon relocating to Hamburg in 1998, al-Shehhi co-established the Hamburg cell alongside Mohamed Atta and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, during which his ideology became progressively more extreme. The group convened regularly to express anti-American views and coordinate attacks. When questioned about why he and Atta never smiled, al-Shehhi responded, "How can you laugh when people are dying in Palestine?"

On 9 October 1999, al-Shehhi appeared in a video recorded at Said Bahaji's wedding in Germany, alongside other future 9/11 hijackers such as Ziad Jarrah.

Toward the end of 1999, al-Shehhi, Atta, Jarrah, Bahaji, and bin al-Shibh initially intended to engage in combat in Chechnya, but were convinced by Khalid al-Masri and Mohamedou Ould Slahi to travel instead to Afghanistan for a meeting with Osama bin Laden and to receive militant training. Shortly after this decision, Atta, al-Shehhi, and Jarrah reported their passports stolen, likely as a means to remove Afghan visas. Following their training period, the hijackers attempted to mask their extremist leanings; al-Shehhi shaved his beard and appeared less devout to those around him. A Hamburg librarian later recalled al-Shehhi boasting about an imminent attack on the United States that would result in thousands of fatalities.

Flight training and mission preparation

Al-Shehhi was the first member of the Hamburg cell to enter the U.S., arriving in Newark, New Jersey on 29 May 2000. Atta and Jarrah joined him the next month as they began searching for flight schools. Presenting themselves as bodyguards for Atta—who claimed royal lineage from Saudi Arabia—they undertook flying lessons in Venice, Florida, accumulating hundreds of hours on a Boeing 727 simulator. By December 2000, they had obtained their pilot licenses, financially supported by Ali Abdul Aziz Ali. On either 26 or 27 December, they abandoned a stalled Piper Cherokee at Miami International Airport. On 31 December, they resumed practice on a Boeing 727 simulator at Opa-Locka Airport.

Travel activities in early 2001

Following their flight instruction, Atta, Jarrah, and al-Shehhi traveled internationally during the 2000-2001 holiday season: Atta went to Berlin, Germany to coordinate with Ramzi bin al-Shibh; Jarrah visited Lebanon and Germany; while al-Shehhi traveled to Morocco and the United Arab Emirates to see his wife. After losing contact with him, his family reported him missing, leading UAE authorities to inform Hamburg officials. Al-Shehhi reassured his family with a phone call on January 20, 2001.

Both Atta and al-Shehhi encountered difficulties re-entering the U.S. on January 10 and 19 respectively due to lacking student visas but managed to persuade INS officers to allow them entry for continued flight training. After returning to Florida, they briefly stayed in Norcross and Decatur in Georgia, renting a single-engine aircraft with an instructor in Lawrenceville. By mid-February, they had moved to Virginia Beach where they rented a mailbox and cashed a check before returning again to Stone Mountain, Georgia. Jarrah also spent time in Decatur before traveling back to Germany in late March. Early April saw Atta and al-Shehhi closing their Virginia Beach mailbox.

In early April, both attended the prominent Dar Al-Hijrah mosque in Virginia Beach alongside hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Hani Hanjour, who had relocated from San Diego and Arizona respectively. The mosque had recently appointed imam Anwar al-Awlaki, known from Hazmi's San Diego period but who denied any contact with Hazmi or Hanjour while in Virginia. While Atta remained in Florida awaiting the arrival of other hijackers, al-Shehhi flew to Cairo on April 18 to meet with Atta's father regarding an international driver’s license and financial support.

Al-Shehhi returned to Miami on May 2. Meanwhile, Atta and Jarrah secured Florida driver’s licenses at a DMV office in Lauderdale Lakes on the same day. On May 6, all three registered at US1 Fitness Center in Dania Beach, Florida where they engaged in hand-to-hand combat training. During summer 2001, Al-Shehhi conducted "surveillance flights," observing flight crew procedures as part of final mission preparations.

August 2001

On August 26, al-Shehhi checked into the Panther Motel located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, paying a sum of US$500 and providing a Mailboxes Etc. address as his permanent contact. He registered a blue Chevrolet Malibu, which was probably rented earlier by Atta. The motel manager, Richard Surma, made an exception to allow al-Shehhi to host an overnight guest. Two days later, on August 28, al-Shehhi purchased his ticket for United Airlines Flight 175 at Miami International Airport, accompanied by an unidentified individual.

September 11 attacks and death

Al-Shehhi traveled from Florida to Boston on September 9, where he stayed at the Milner Hotel alongside three other hijackers: Satam al-Suqami, Fayez Banihammad, and Mohand al-Shehri. On the following day, September 10, he received a brief four-minute call from Abdulaziz al-Omari, though the details of their conversation remain unknown.

At 5:01 a.m. on September 11, al-Shehhi was contacted by Ziad Jarrah, the pilot hijacker of United Airlines Flight 93, which is believed to have signaled the commencement of the coordinated attacks. Upon arriving at Logan International Airport, he placed a call to Mohamed Atta between 6:52 and 6:55 a.m., likely for similar coordination purposes.

Between 7:23 and 7:28 a.m., the group of five hijackers boarded Flight 175, with al-Shehhi assigned seat 6C. The aircraft departed at 8:14 a.m. and was overtaken by hijackers approximately 28 minutes later; they forcibly entered the cockpit and killed both pilots, enabling al-Shehhi to assume control of the plane. Shortly after the takeover, the aircraft narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with Delta Airlines Flight 2315. While approaching New York City, al-Shehhi observed smoke emanating from the North Tower following its impact by Flight 11 at 8:46 a.m., then managed to evade another close encounter with Midwest Express Flight 7.

Carrying roughly 9,100 gallons (34,447 liters) of jet fuel and flying at an estimated speed and altitude, al-Shehhi piloted Flight 175 into the South Tower at approximately 9:03 a.m., striking between floors 77 and 85. The collision instantly caused fatalities among all passengers onboard as well as numerous individuals inside the building; over 600 people were situated above the crash site, with about half perishing immediately. Nearly 300 survivors were trapped in upper floors amid intense fire and smoke conditions.

The impact was broadcast live across global media outlets, displaying a massive explosion and extensive destruction. Although some evacuation routes remained intact initially, most survivors were unable to reach safety before the tower's collapse less than an hour later.

Al-Shehhi’s approach was faster and lower than that of Atta’s strike on the North Tower, targeting the eastern portion of the South Tower’s southern facade near its southeast corner. This severely weakened the building’s structural framework. At 9:59 a.m., after standing for nearly 56 minutes post-impact, the South Tower collapsed—becoming the first of the Twin Towers to fall on that tragic day.

Sources

• Thompson, Paul. The Terror Timeline. ReganBooks, 2004.
• The 9/11 Commission Report. W.W. Norton & Company.

External links

• The Final 9/11 Commission Report