Mohame Atta (محمد عطا السيد transliteration: Muhammad ʻAta as-Sayyid) (September 1, 1968 – September 11, 2001), a known associate of al-Qaeda, was the leader of the nineteen hijackers who perpetrated the September 11, 2001 attacks. He personally participated in the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 attacks.