Vehicles of the hijackers in the September 11 attacks
| Company type | Automobile |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Products | Sedan |
Several automobiles were utilized by the hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks. Both FBI documentation and media reports provide information about some of these vehicles.
Toyota Corolla owned by Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi
In February 2000, hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi secured a rental apartment in San Diego's Clairemont Mesa neighborhood. Al-Mihdhar acquired a used blue 1988 Toyota Corolla Deluxe sedan (VIN JT2AE92E9J3137546, California license plate 3JFZ283). This car was in use from their arrival in San Diego and was driven through several states, including Arizona, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Connecticut, before it was discovered at Dulles Airport containing materials connected to the hijacking plot.
By May 2000, the vehicle’s registration had been transferred from al-Mihdhar to al-Hazmi. In December 2000, Hani Hanjour joined al-Hazmi in San Diego but shortly thereafter relocated to Phoenix, Arizona for pilot training. On December 12, Hanjour and al-Hazmi jointly leased an apartment at the Indian Springs Village complex in Mesa, Arizona. On April 1, while traveling together, al-Hazmi was issued a speeding citation along with a summons for not wearing a seatbelt; FBI records indicate he was driving the Toyota Corolla, although some accounts mention a Chevrolet Impala. Later that month, they visited the Dar al-Hijrah mosque near Washington, DC—where imam Anwar al-Awlaki, previously acquainted with them in San Diego, was stationed. Hanjour listed this mosque’s address on his utility bills. It is believed that al-Awlaki introduced them to Eyad Alrababah, who transported Hanjour to Fairfield, Connecticut on May 8 with Nawaf al-Hazmi accompanying him; Moqed and Ahmed al-Ghamdi followed behind in the Toyota.
Items recovered from the vehicle
On September 12, 2001, authorities at Dulles International Airport identified the Toyota associated with Al-Hazmi and conducted a search under warrant. Notable items found inside included:
- Parking ticket timestamped 09/11/01 at 7:25 AM
- Four color-coded schematics of a B757 cockpit instrument panel
- A yellow-and-black utility knife (box cutter)
- Hani Hanjour’s Pan Am International Flight Academy identification card
- A cashier’s check for $5,745 payable to the Flight Academy from Hanjour
- Travel itinerary for seats 13A and 13B on American Airlines Flight 77 assigned to Khalid Al-Mihdhar and Majed Moqed
- A note bearing the inscription "Osama 5895316"
- Packing slip for a shipment sent to the United Arab Emirates on 09/10/01
- Partially completed checks found in a checkbook
- Spiral-bound notebook containing handwritten Arabic notes and telephone numbers
- Hand-drawn map depicting a neighborhood in Lemon Grove, California
- California registration documents for the Toyota
The FBI concluded that the package had not been delivered; upon bomb squad examination, a note written in Arabic along with a check card intended for either al-Hazmi’s wife or girlfriend was discovered—expressing affection and providing financial support.