Ziad Jarrah

Ziad Samir Jarrah (11 May 1975 – 11 September 2001) was a Lebanese national known for his role as one of the four hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks in the United States. Flight 93 crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to retake control of the aircraft. Jarrah is widely considered to have been the pilot-hijacker of the flight. Although much of his life is documented in official investigations, several aspects remain contested, and areas of disagreement are noted explicitly in major reports.
Jarrah’s trajectory from a secular, middle-class upbringing in Beirut to involvement in the Hamburg-based al-Qaeda cell illustrates a significant transformation shaped by international mobility, personal relationships, clandestine training, and radicalisation. His background, unlike that of some of the other hijackers, included prolonged contact with Western society, higher education in Germany, and an ongoing romantic relationship, factors that have prompted interest in the complexity of his motivations and behaviour.

Early Life and Education

Born in Beirut, Jarrah grew up in a relatively affluent and secular Sunni Muslim household. His family resided in Tariq al-Jadida, a working-class district of the city. His father worked as a social service inspector for the Lebanese government, and his mother was an elementary school teacher. From childhood, he expressed an ambition to become a pilot, though his family discouraged him due to safety concerns.
During the mid-1990s, Jarrah spent time in Yemen. Some accounts suggest that an individual using his name rented an apartment in Brooklyn, New York, between 1995 and 1996, although this identification remains disputed. In 1996, Jarrah moved to Germany with his cousin Salim to attend a German-language course at the University of Greifswald. During this period, he socialised widely, participating in discos and beach outings, and appeared less involved in religious activity.
Jarrah began a relationship with Aysel Engün, a German-born woman of Turkish heritage studying dentistry. The relationship lasted, with interruptions, until his death, and the pair lived together briefly. In 1997 he moved to Hamburg, enrolling in aerospace engineering at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences while working at a Volkswagen facility in Wolfsburg. He maintained ties with his family and friends, returning to Lebanon in late 1997 with a portrait painted by his Hamburg landlady.
Although the 9/11 Commission identifies Jarrah as a member of the Hamburg cell, evidence suggests he had limited documented contact with other future hijackers in Hamburg, with a confirmed meeting only at the wedding of Said Bahaji in October 1999.

Training and Radicalisation in Afghanistan

In late 1999, Jarrah and several associates—including Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Said Bahaji, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh—initially planned to travel to Chechnya to join Islamist fighters. At the urging of Khalid al-Masri and Mohamedou Ould Slahi, they instead travelled to Afghanistan, where they met senior al-Qaeda leaders including Osama bin Laden.
In Afghanistan, Jarrah received training and was given the teknonym “father of Tariq”. He was informed he would participate in a secret mission requiring flight training upon return to Germany. Footage later surfaced showing Jarrah reading his will in January 2000, still bearded and visibly committed to the group’s aims. Shortly afterwards, he adopted a more secular outward appearance in an effort to avoid suspicion.
To disguise his travel history, Jarrah reported his passport stolen in February 2000 and obtained a duplicate—mirroring actions taken by other hijackers. He then sought suitable flight schools, concluding that European institutions did not meet his requirements, and prepared to relocate to the United States.

Activities in the United States

Jarrah entered the United States more frequently than any other hijacker, with at least seven documented entries. He received a five-year B1/B2 visa in May 2000 and arrived via Newark Airport on 27 June 2000. He joined Atta and al-Shehhi in Florida, enrolling at Huffman Aviation in Venice. Unlike his counterparts, Jarrah did not adjust his immigration status from tourist to student, thereby violating visa regulations.
From June 2000 to January 2001, Jarrah trained in flying small aircraft and later began instruction on larger jets. Classmates and instructors often remembered him as personable, sociable, and occasionally known to drink alcohol—traits that contrasted sharply with more overtly austere hijackers. He lived not with other operatives but with a German student, Thorsten Biermann, who reported no obvious signs of political or religious extremism.
Jarrah made multiple trips to Germany to visit Engün, maintaining regular contact with her. His behaviour differed from other hijackers, most of whom severed personal ties during the preparation phase. In late 2000 and early 2001, he travelled to Lebanon to visit his father and continued to see his girlfriend.
Some reports claim Jarrah was questioned by security officials in the United Arab Emirates in January 2001, admitting travel to Afghanistan and Pakistan. This claim, however, has been denied by the CIA and is absent from the 9/11 Commission Report. By May 2001, Jarrah, Atta, and al-Shehhi obtained Florida driver’s licences and enrolled in a gym for physical conditioning, including close-quarters combat training. In June, Ahmed al-Haznawi moved in with Jarrah, and the two shared an apartment in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Preparation and the September 11 Attacks

During mid-2001, Jarrah conducted surveillance and coordinated travel for the mission, though details are not fully known. On 7 September 2001, he flew from Fort Lauderdale to Newark to position himself for the operation.
On 11 September 2001, Jarrah boarded United Airlines Flight 93 alongside Saeed al-Ghamdi, Ahmed al-Nami, and Ahmed al-Haznawi. After seizing control of the aircraft, the hijackers turned it toward Washington, D.C., likely aiming for either the U.S. Capitol or the White House. Passengers and crew, informed of the other attacks via phone calls, mounted a revolt against the hijackers. In response, Jarrah crashed the aircraft into a field in Pennsylvania, killing all on board.
Flight 93 was the only hijacked plane that failed to reach its intended target, and the passengers’ actions are widely credited with preventing further loss of life on the ground.