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"Someone connected to Osama bin Laden was looking to buy a retired aircraft sometime in March," the New York Post quoted a federal investigator close to the attack probe as saying.
They were also trying to involve some Americans in the purchase of the aircraft to act as a front.
Two of the hijacked planes were Boeing 767s while the other two were Boeing 757s.
The suspected terrorists found a broker in Florida to represent them in the deal, the investigator said but did not name the representative or the dealers involved, according to the report.
It also said bin Laden's followers tried to hire American pilots for private training sessions.
The report said the information, 'not specific enough' to have thwarted the September 11 attacks, was passed to the FBI.
The hijackers, including Mohammed Atta, took flying lessons in Florida in July last year and had logged time on a Boeing 727 flight simulator, it said.
It looks like they wanted to get the feel of flying a big plane as the hijackers mostly flew small planes in flight schools, it said.
PTI
The Attack on America: The Complete Coverage
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