The focus of this report is the number and fate of the planes hijacked on 9/11 and the immediate facts officials established. Nineteen hijackers commandeered four large commercial airliners, the 9/11 Commission found. Each aircraft was a long range passenger jet selected for fuel load and range, according to investigation material.
Two jets were flown into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower and United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower. A third aircraft, American Airlines Flight 77, struck the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. The fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers revolted, the commission and related reports state.
The official tallies compiled by federal inquiries record 2,977 victims killed in the attacks and 19 hijackers, for a combined total of 2,996 dead. The FBI and the 9/11 Commission documented the hijackers, and NIST and other agencies examined the engineering and timeline questions arising from the crashes and building collapses. Investigators identified al Qaeda as responsible and named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as the plot architect in commission findings.
Impact And Aftermath
The immediate operational response included a nationwide FAA ground stop that cleared US airspace and an effort by Canada called Operation Yellow Ribbon to divert inbound international flights, as reported in official accounts. The Central Intelligence Agency and other agencies rapidly linked the operation to al Qaeda leadership. The US launched a military campaign aimed at al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, beginning what officials described as the Global War on Terror.
Beyond the combat response, the attacks reshaped domestic policy and public health. Congress created new government structures and enacted major anti terrorism measures. Rescue, recovery and cleanup work at the World Trade Center site continued for months and was declared complete by federal teams in the year following the attacks. Long term effects include thousands of injured people and extended health programs for responders, together with memorials at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the Flight 93 crash site, all documented in the post attack records.
