Hijackers Cause Trouble at Logan Airport; Have Flight Training Manuals in Car

[Archangel]

Flight 11 hijackers Waleed Alshehri, Wail Alshehri, and Satam Al Suqami arrive at Boston's Logan Airport in a rental car, which they park in the airport's central parking lot. (9/11 Commission 8/26/2004, pp. 5)

An unidentified man who arrives at Logan Airport at "about 6:30 a.m." for an early flight has an argument with several Middle Eastern men over a parking space, before moving on, according to the News of the World. Some early press reports will say his confrontation is with five men. (Hayward, Farmer, and Macero 9/12/2001; Fenton and Ball 9/13/2001; ABC News 9/14/2001; News of the World 9/16/2001)

However, the 9/11 Commission will later describe the incident differently. It will say there are just three Middle Eastern men, and the man ends up parked next to them. One of the Middle Eastern men opens his car door to get out and then spends time "fiddling with his things," thus trapping the man in his car. Eventually the man has to force his way out, but the Middle Eastern men are completely unresponsive to him, saying nothing. The man will report the incident to authorities after hearing of the attacks. However, whether he identifies the men as Flight 11 hijackers is unstated. The hijackers' car, which is associated with either Wail or Waleed Alshehri, will be found in the lot later in the day of 9/11. (9/11 Commission 8/26/2004, pp. 85)

Authorities will find Arabic-language flight training manuals inside the Mitsubishi rental. (Harpaz 9/12/2001; Hayward, Farmer, and Macero 9/12/2001; Fenton and Ball 9/13/2001)