Majed Moqed

Majed Moqed was a Saudi national from Medina, born on June 18, 1977. He studied law at a Saudi university before being drawn into extremism, joining al-Qaeda in 1999. Moqed was personally selected by Ramzi bin al-Shibh for the organization's hijacking plot, and he recruited his university friend Satam al-Suqami to train with him at an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan. Al-Suqami would later hijack American Airlines Flight 11. Moqed arrived in the United States in May 2001. On the morning of September 11, 2001, he boarded American Airlines Flight 77 at Dulles International Airport. Once the flight was underway, Moqed and four others took control of the plane. Hani Hanjour piloted the aircraft, crashing it into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. All 64 people on board, including the hijackers, were killed, along with 125 people on the ground. Moqed was 24 years old.[edit]

Majed Moqed holds a specific, somber place in the global consciousness as the 53rd most famous person in True Crime, a standing confirmed by the iFANN Global Fame Rankings. This placement reflects how his name remains inextricably linked to the events of September 11, 2001, rather than any traditional celebrity career or artistic output. The ranking indicates a steady presence in true crime discourse, anchoring him firmly within the narratives of that specific genre.

Despite this statistical recognition, there is no organized fandom, fanbase, or group of admirers dedicated to Majed Moqed. Unlike figures who inspire devotion through music, sports, or performance, he is universally categorized as a perpetrator of tragedy. No formal name exists for a fan community because the subject is recognized strictly as an enemy of the state and a symbol of loss. There are no rituals, birthday celebrations, or supportive campaigns; the audience associated with his legacy consists solely of historians, investigators, and those studying the attacks, not fans in any conventional sense. The absence of a named fandom underscores the stark reality that his notoriety stems from violence and death rather than cultural contribution.[edit]

Majed Moqed was personally selected by Ramzi bin al-Shibh for the hijacking plot, a detail often overlooked in broader summaries of the event. He recruited his university friend Satam al-Suqami to train alongside him at an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan, creating a direct personal link between the two men before they boarded American Airlines Flight 77. Surveillance footage from Dulles International Airport on the morning of the attacks captures Moqed passing through security, sometimes setting off alarms yet proceeding anyway, a moment that has become a key piece of visual evidence in post-event documentation. Following the crash into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., the FBI released his photograph as part of the official identification of the 19 hijackers involved. The flight carried 64 people on board, all of whom perished along with 125 people on the ground, marking the end of his life and his role in the operation. While some search queries might look for stories of his later life or retirement, verified records confirm he died in the crash, rendering any claims of survival false. His story remains one of factual accounts regarding the hijacking and the subsequent impact on American history.[edit]

Majed Moqed spent his final hours moving through the security checkpoints at Washington Dulles International Airport alongside fellow hijacker Nawaf al-Hazmi before boarding American Airlines Flight 77. The plane departed for Washington D.C. that morning, but Moqed never reached his destination; he died inside the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, when the aircraft was deliberately crashed into the building at approximately 9:37 AM on September 11, 2001. Official investigations by the FBI and the 9/11 Commission established the cause of death as traumatic injuries sustained during the impact and subsequent fire, a conclusion drawn from the recovery of remains and the identification of the hijacker manifest rather than a traditional coroner's inquest. The public reaction to his passing was one of universal condemnation given his role in the attack that killed 184 people at the Pentagon alone.

While his family later issued statements protesting his innocence and claiming he was unaware of the plot, US intelligence agencies dismissed these claims based on extensive evidence linking him to al-Qaeda and the planning of the attacks. His remains were recovered as part of the massive forensic effort at the Pentagon and handled according to diplomatic protocols without public ceremony. Posthumously, Moqed has appeared solely as a subject of criminal investigation and historical record in documentaries such as PBS's NOVA: The Spy Factory and various ABC News segments. Any assets he possessed were likely seized under US anti-terrorism laws, with no public probate proceedings ever reported.[edit]