Vaughn Allex

Brothers Nawaf Alhazmi and Salem Alhazmi, 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. 3, 452; 9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 27] They are running late. They “come running in the front door, looking around, and didn’t know which way to go,” Vaughn Allex, an employee at the ticket counter, will later describe. [CNN, 9/8/2012; ABC 7, 9/10/2016] They are captured on security video pulling large, dark, roller-type suitcases as they approach the counter. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/19/2001] They are allowed to check in despite having missed the official deadline for doing so by a few minutes. [CNN, 9/8/2012; ABC 7, 9/10/2016]
Trainee Checks in the Hijackers – Nawaf and Salem Alhazmi are checked in by Inga Hill, a trainee who is overseen by Allex. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/19/2001; Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/25/2001] Today is only her second day working at Dulles Airport. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/12/2001] Allex looks on while she confirms the brothers’ tickets. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/25/2001] The Alhazmis check in two dark-colored bags, one of them a hard plastic suitcase, the other a soft bag, Hill will recall. One of the brothers has a carry-on bag, she will say. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/12/2001] Allex will recall the brothers having only one bag, which he considers to be “totally inappropriate for a trip to Los Angeles.” The bag is “almost like a satchel” with straps across the top but which doesn’t seal, he will say. [CNN, 9/8/2012]
Hijackers Have Difficulty Answering Questions – Nawaf and Salem Alhazmi show passports for their photo identification but are unable to recall the country from which these were issued. They also have trouble answering the security questions that all passengers must answer. Allex therefore has to get involved and take over the task of questioning them, Hill will recall. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/12/2001] However, Allex will say he takes on the task of checking them in from the outset because they are running late. [CNN, 9/8/2012] Nawaf Alhazmi is the only one of the brothers who speaks during the check-in, but his English is poor. Salem Alhazmi, meanwhile, acts “very anxious or excited,” according to Allex. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/12/2001; Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/25/2001] “He was grinning, he was smiling, and he was dancing back and forth,” Allex will say. [CNN, 9/8/2012]
Hijackers Are Selected for Extra Scrutiny – Allex selects the two brothers for extra security scrutiny. He does this because he finds them suspicious, and one of them—probably Salem Alhazmi, according to the 9/11 Commission—has no photo identification and cannot understand English. However, the only consequence of the extra scrutiny will be that their bags are held off Flight 77 until it is confirmed that they have boarded it.
Employee Is Suspicious and Follows the Hijackers – After being checked in, Nawaf and Salem Alhazmi proceed to a security screening checkpoint (see 7:36 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 3; 9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 27-28; USA Today, 9/12/2016] They no longer have their suitcases with them when they leave the ticket counter. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/19/2001] Allex is still uncomfortable with the two men and follows them for a few steps. He stops himself, though, as he is concerned that his suspicion may be racially motivated. [CNN, 9/8/2012] The name of Nawaf Alhazmi 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] An employee at Dulles Airport will recall encountering him and four other Middle Eastern men as they tried to get to a secure area of the airport the previous evening (see (Between 8:00 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.) September 10, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 1/19/2004 ; Trento and Trento, 2006, pp. 2-6, 43-44]