7:15 a.m. September 11, 2001: Flight 77 Hijackers Almihdhar and Moqed Check in at Dulles Airport

Khalid Almihdhar and Majed Moqed, two of the men who will allegedly hijack Flight 77, check in at the American Airlines ticket counter at Washington’s Dulles International Airport. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 2-3; 9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 27] They are recorded by one of the airport’s security cameras approaching the ticket counter, with Moqed pulling a large, dark, roller-type suitcase and Almihdhar pulling a smaller, dark, roller-type suitcase. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/19/2001] They are checked in by a female ticketing agent for American Airlines whose name is unstated. The ticketing agent will later recall Moqed giving her a small, old, leather suitcase to check in. Almihdhar, meanwhile, has a carry-on bag with him, she will say in one interview with the FBI. However, a week later she will tell the FBI he had no bags with him.
One Hijacker Seems Unable to Understand the Agent’s Questions – Almihdhar and Moqed appear to be in a very good mood and are polite as they are checked in. They provide Virginia identification. One of them seems to be in charge and answers all of the ticketing agent’s questions. He hesitates, though, before responding to the question, “Has anyone given you anything to carry on the flight?” The other man appears unable to understand the security questions he is asked. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/12/2001; Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/19/2001] After being checked in, the two men proceed to a security screening checkpoint (see 7:18 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 27] Almihdhar is pulling along his suitcase but Moqed does not have his suitcase with him at this point. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/19/2001] As they leave the ticket counter, they wave and smile at the ticketing agent. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/19/2001]
Hijackers Are Flagged by a Computerized Prescreening System – Almihdhar and Moqed are both flagged by CAPPS (the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System) when they check in. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 3] CAPPS is an FAA-approved automated system administered by commercial airlines that aims to identify passengers whose profile suggests they may pose more than a minimal risk to aircraft. Passengers selected by CAPPS have their baggage screened for explosives or held off the plane until they have boarded. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 84; Trento and Trento, 2006, pp. 12] Almihdar’s name was recently added to a terrorism watch list (see August 23, 2001). [Associated Press, 7/22/2004; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 270] Almihdhar was recorded on video in a terminal at Dulles Airport at some time the previous evening, possibly accompanied by Salem Alhazmi, another one of the alleged Flight 77 hijackers (see September 10, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 9/29/2003 ; Federal Bureau of Investigation, 11/14/2003 ]