American Airlines Flight 77 facts for kids
Two still images from a Pentagon security camera video immediately before and after the crash highlighting Flight 77 prior to impact
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| Hijacking summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, September 11, 2001 |
| Summary | Suicide hijacking |
| Place | West wall of Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia |
| Passengers | 53 (plus 5 hijackers) |
| Crew | 6 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 106 (on ground) |
| Fatalities | 59, plus 5 hijackers, in aircraft 125 in Pentagon |
| Survivors | none from aircraft |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 757-223 |
| Airline/user | American Airlines |
| Registration | N644AA |
| Flew from | Washington Dulles Int'l Airport |
| Flying to | Los Angeles Int'l Airport |
American Airlines Flight 77 was a flight that traveled across the United States. It flew from Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport in California. This flight happened every morning.
On September 11, 2001, the plane flying this route was a Boeing 757-223. Five terrorists from a group called al-Qaeda took control of the plane. They purposely crashed the plane into the Pentagon. This event was part of the larger September 11 attacks.
Contents
What Happened During the Flight
Less than 35 minutes after takeoff, the hijackers forced their way into the cockpit. They made all the passengers move to the back of the plane. One of the hijackers, Hani Hanjour, was a trained pilot. He took control of the aircraft.
Even though they were in a dangerous situation, some passengers were able to make phone calls. They called their families and friends. They also called people to tell them what was happening on the plane. The hijackers did not know about these calls.
One of the passengers was Barbara Olson. She was the wife of Theodore Olson, who worked for the U.S. government.
The Crash and Its Impact
The plane crashed into the western side of the Pentagon at 9:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time. All 64 people on board the plane died, including the hijackers. Also, 125 people who were inside the Pentagon building died. Many people saw the crash happen. News channels started reporting on the event very quickly.
The crash caused a lot of damage to the Pentagon building. It also started a very large fire. Part of the Pentagon collapsed because of the impact. Firefighters worked for many days to put out the fire. The damaged parts of the Pentagon were rebuilt in 2002. The repaired areas were ready to be used again by August 15, 2002.
Honoring the Victims
A special place called the Pentagon Memorial honors the 184 victims of the attack. It is located next to the Pentagon. This park is about 1.93 acres in size. It has a bench for each person who died. The benches are arranged by the year each victim was born. The victims ranged in age from 3 years old to 71 years old.
The Hijackers of Flight 77
- Hani Hanjour
- Nawaf al-Hazmi
- Salem al-Hazmi
- Majed Moqed
- Khalid al-Mihdhar
Images for kids
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N644AA in March 1995 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
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Three frames from the security camera video of Flight 77 hitting the Pentagon
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Debris from Flight 77 scattered near the Pentagon
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A fire at the Pentagon, with police and EMS in the foreground
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Aerial view of the collapsed area and subsequent fire damage
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The cockpit voice recorder from American Airlines Flight 77, as used in an exhibit at the Moussaoui trial
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Damaged section of the Pentagon
See also
In Spanish: Vuelo 77 de American Airlines para niños
