Lawsuit Shows 9/11 Hijacker Was On Boston-Bound Flight Before Attacks

[shure]

victronix01 "Was this already known? Seems bizarre."
http://truthaction.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7018

Lawsuit Shows 9/11 Hijacker Was On Boston-Bound Flight Before Attacks
By Fred Thys (@fthys)
Jan 31, 2011, 9:15 AM
http://www.wbur.org/2011/01/31/sept-11-flight-attendant



BOSTON — Documents in a lawsuit against United Airlines, which claim negligence in security leading to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, show that a United flight attendant spotted one of the hijackers on a Boston-bound flight 12 days before the attacks.

Flight attendant Greg McAleer was working United Flight 514 from Chicago to Boston on Aug. 20, 2001. McAleer testified to investigators from the 9/11 Commission that as he was greeting passengers a man in casual clothes displayed a jump-seat pass.

United issued such a pass to pilots from other airlines. It allowed them to ride as passengers in the jump seat in the cockpit. The flight’s pilot would not let the passenger sit in the jump seat because he did not have proper ID, but he was allowed to fly as a passenger.

After Sept. 11, McAleer recognized the man as Fayez Banihammad, one of the 19 hijackers.

Attorneys for the family of Mark Bavis, one of the victims aboard United Flight 175 out of Logan International Airport, are trying to depose federal agents who interviewed the flight attendant, but the Department of Justice is refusing to let the agents testify.





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[worcesteradam]

a jump-seat pass, aye. thats unusual. what was he doing with that.

[mattj]

a jump-seat pass, aye. thats unusual. what was he doing with that.

Pre-9/11 it was not that hard to get a gate agent to give you a jump-seat pass, now getting the pilots to let you sit in the jump-seat was not so easy.

[worcesteradam]

His name was Mohammad Atta, the leader of the terrorist hijackers. Atta had boarded my flight from Baltimore to Atlanta on July 26, 2001 wearing an American Airlines first officer uniform. He had the corresponding AA company ID identifying him as a pilot, not to mention the required FAA pilot license and medical certificate that he was required to show me as proof of his aircrew status for access to my jumpseat.

An airline pilot riding a cockpit jumpseat is a long established protocol among the airlines of the world, a courtesy extended by the management and captains of one airline to pilots and flight attendants of other airlines in recognition of their aircrew status. My admission of Mohammad Atta to my cockpit jumpseat that day was merely a routine exercise of this protocol.

Something seemed a bit different about this jumpseat rider, though, because in my usual course of conversation with him as we reached cruise altitude he avoided all my questions about his personal life and focused very intently upon the cockpit instruments and our operation of the aircraft. I asked him what he flew at American and he said, "These", but he asked incessant questions about how we did this or why we did that. I said, "This is a 767. They all operate the same way." But he said, "No, we operate them differently at American." That seemed very strange, because I knew better.

I asked him about his background, and he admitted he was from Saudi Arabia. I asked him when he came over to this country and he said "A couple of years ago.", to which I asked, "Are you a US citizen?" He said no. I also found that very strange because I know that in order to have an Airline Transport Pilot rating, the rating required to be an airline captain, one has to be a US citizen, and knowing the US airlines and their hiring processes as I do, I found it hard to believe that American Airlines would hire a non-US citizen who couldn't upgrade to captain when the time came. He said, "The rules have changed.", which I also knew to be untrue. Besides, he was just, shall I say, "Creepy"? My copilot and I were both glad to get rid of this guy when we got to Atlanta.

[mattj]

His name was Mohammad Atta, the leader of the terrorist hijackers. Atta had boarded my flight from Baltimore to Atlanta on July 26, 2001 wearing an American Airlines first officer uniform. He had the corresponding AA company ID identifying him as a pilot, not to mention the required FAA pilot license and medical certificate that he was required to show me as proof of his aircrew status for access to my jumpseat.

An airline pilot riding a cockpit jumpseat is a long established protocol among the airlines of the world, a courtesy extended by the management and captains of one airline to pilots and flight attendants of other airlines in recognition of their aircrew status. My admission of Mohammad Atta to my cockpit jumpseat that day was merely a routine exercise of this protocol.

Something seemed a bit different about this jumpseat rider, though, because in my usual course of conversation with him as we reached cruise altitude he avoided all my questions about his personal life and focused very intently upon the cockpit instruments and our operation of the aircraft. I asked him what he flew at American and he said, "These", but he asked incessant questions about how we did this or why we did that. I said, "This is a 767. They all operate the same way." But he said, "No, we operate them differently at American." That seemed very strange, because I knew better.

I asked him about his background, and he admitted he was from Saudi Arabia. I asked him when he came over to this country and he said "A couple of years ago.", to which I asked, "Are you a US citizen?" He said no. I also found that very strange because I know that in order to have an Airline Transport Pilot rating, the rating required to be an airline captain, one has to be a US citizen, and knowing the US airlines and their hiring processes as I do, I found it hard to believe that American Airlines would hire a non-US citizen who couldn't upgrade to captain when the time came. He said, "The rules have changed.", which I also knew to be untrue. Besides, he was just, shall I say, "Creepy"? My copilot and I were both glad to get rid of this guy when we got to Atlanta.

Captain Gilmore has gone on to say a good bit of info in his blog post is incorrect. Was Atta in CA Gilmore's jumpseat, my guess is yes. Pre-9/11 Delta was the only airline I know that only let pilots set in the jumpseat (I know TWA, Pan-AM, United, Eastern would anyone set in the cockpit jumpseat all you had to do was ask). In fact I know not only did Delta only allow pilots in the cockpit jumpseat but the pilots had to be in full uniform(jacket and hat). I once tried to set in the jumpseat on a Delta flight using my FAA pilot license and medical certificate(mine as a PPL-IR pilot is the same as airline pilots).

[worcesteradam]

would be nice to know which info is incorrect, if possible

Hijackers were also seen on a flight pre to 911, where they repeatedly asked to go up to the cockpit and were told it wasnt allowed. They then took out a VCR and recorded people going into the cockpit

Mohammad Atta was prone to announcing that he was a pilot with American Airlines

[worcesteradam]

"The guy Mohamed was drunk, his voice was slurred, and he had a thick accent," Amos said.

"Bartender Patricia Idrissi said the men argued over the bill, and when she asked if there was a problem, 'Mohamed said he worked for American Airlines, and could pay the bill.'"

Sept 8, 2001

[Femacamper]

"The guy Mohamed was drunk, his voice was slurred, and he had a thick accent," Amos said.

"Bartender Patricia Idrissi said the men argued over the bill, and when she asked if there was a problem, 'Mohamed said he worked for American Airlines, and could pay the bill.'"

Sept 8, 2001

So he's not a Jihadist, because they are fundamentalist Muslims, and fundamentalists don't drink or frequent strip bars. Also, if he worked for AA, combined with other intel that shows he is a CIA plant right there.

[IridiumKEPfactor]

This info reminds me of the 9/11 hijacker episode from Jesse Ventura's Conspiracy Theory where One of the guys says, "I have intel that the Hijackers were in the cockpit before that plan even took off."

[worcesteradam]

i think he thought he was going to get to be a pilot

[mattj]

would be nice to know which info is incorrect, if possible

The only thing that matters is was Atta in the jumpseat and based on things I have seen posted from Captain Gilmore I am almost 100% sure the answer is yes. A lot of the filler in the blog post ended up being incorrect.

[worcesteradam]

“Him (Atta)and Wolfgang drove around in the red convertible a lot,” she said. “Their favorite place to eat was Hooters in Sarasota. They got kicked out of Hooters for grabbing their boobs.”

Aboard Wolfgang's yacht were passports from a half-dozen nations, and a cache of firearms, including a Glock. He claimed to be an arms dealer, and acknowledged his involvement with Eastern European Mobsters.