Aviation Security Aboard Commercial Aircraft

1
Aviation Security Aboard Commercial Aircraft

• Becky Neal
• Beth Schuetz
• Brad Steinfeldt
• Andrzej Stewart

2
Agenda

• Introduction
• Background Legislation
• Disadvantages
• Alternatives
• Recommendations

3
Introduction

• Federal Aviation Act of 1958 proved inadequate to
  growing security threats.
• Antihijacking Act and Air Transportation Act of
  1974.
• No U.S. based airlines suffered hijackings from
  1991 through 2000

Bureau of Transportation Statistics
4
Consequences of Sept. 11

• September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks bring down
  four commercial airliners into selected target
  buildings.
• Homeland Security Act of 2002
• Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act of 2002

5
Goals

• Investigate the Federal Flight Deck Officer
  Program
• Provide evidence of problems with the program
• Propose alternative security solutions

6
Background Legislation
7
Disclaimer
8
Sources

• Code of Federal Regulations
• United States Code
• House Resolutions
• Senate Bills

9
Legal Basis for Arming Pilots

• 14 CFR 121.538
• 49 CFR 1544.201
• 49 CFR 1544.219
• 49 USC 44921

10
14 CFR 121.538

• Title 14 Federal Aviation Regulations
• Part 121 Operating Requirements Domestic,
  Flag, and Supplemental Operations
• Rules dictated by 49 CFR Chapter XII

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49 CFR 1544.201d

• Prohibitions on Carrying a Weapon, Explosive, or
  Incendiary
• Lists exceptions

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49 CFR 1544.219

• Carriage of Accessible Weapons
• Federal law enforcement officers

13
49 USC 44921

• Federal Flight Deck Officer Program
• 107th Cong. HR 5005, Title XIV

14
Modification of Regulations

• 49 USC 44921
• 49 CFR 1544
• 49 CFR 1544.201
• 49 CFR 1544.219

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Alternatives

• 28 USC 570
• 49 USC 44912
• 49 USC 44918

16
28 USC 570

• Federal Air Marshals Program
• 107th Cong. S.1444
• 49 CFR 1544.223

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49 USC 44912

• Research and Development
• Scientific Advisory Panel

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49 USC 44918

• Crew Training

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Disadvantages
20
Overview of Problems

• Effectiveness
• Harm to aircraft
• Pilot Distraction
• Removed from Pilots Possession

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Effectiveness

• Knowledge that pilot is armed
• No element of surprise by the pilot
• Plan for guns in the cockpit
• Attack differently
• Guns are not always the best method of
  eliminating danger
• Not user specific

22
Harm to Aircraft

• Bullets depressurize the cabin
• Two outflow valves that control the pressure
• Bullets alter the amount of pressure the valves
  can handle
• Harm to passengers if the cabin is depressurized
• Or if the attackers or pilots miss

23
Pilot Distraction

• Focus on flying the aircraft
• Other people should be responsible for security
• Back up plan
• Be prepared for the worst
• Not be the single protector

24
Removed from Pilots Possession

• Evaluate the Flight Deck Officer Program for
  proper training
• Israels El Al has the tightest security
• Removed guns from the cockpit
• Reasons can be taken away from pilot, not user
  specific

25
Alternatives
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Overview of Available Alternatives

• Firearms
• Different bullet types
• Locking devices
• Other Weapons
• Electrical defenses
• Knives
• Clubs
• No Weapons
• Martial arts
• Cockpit separation

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The Traditional Bullet

• The Traditional Bullet
• Metal jacket with solid metal core
• High energy impact

HowStuffWorks
28
Rubber Bullets

• Developed by Israel and Northern Ireland for
  crowd control in the 1960s
• Plastic or rubber casing
• Increase impact time
• Reduces impulsive force
• Less transmitted energy
• Requires a special gun

Fox Labs
29
Frangible Bullets

• Core composed of small spheres
• Disperses energy on impact to a larger area
• Bullets remain lodged in target
• Originally used by Air Marshals

Glaser Safety
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Locking Guns

• Magnetic Rings
• Ring worn on pilots finger emit a magnetic field
• Only when the ring is in contact with gun will
  weapon fire
• Biometric Technology
• Biometrics Use of specific human characteristic
• Use fingerprint to lock gun to the pilot

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Electrical Defense

• Stun Guns
• Create a potential difference between two
  electrodes
• Provide a low current, high voltage shock to
  attacker
• Temporarily incapacitate the intruder
• Tasers
• Similar to stun guns, except the electrodes
  detach and fly about 15 feet
• Liquid Stun Guns
• Use current carrying fluid to transmit potential
  difference

32
Hand Weapons

• Clubs
• Use a brute force method of incapacitating
  attacker
• Knives
• Effective during close combat

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Cockpit Isolation

• Weapons should be totally removed from the
  cockpit
• Bulkhead between cabin and cockpit
• Implementation problems
• Modification of structure
• Door for the cockpit
• Rest facilities
• Barrier

34
Recommendations
35
Proposed Actions

• Create new legislation
• Phase out firearms in pilots control over time
• Research new means of aircraft security
• In interim, implement currently existing
  alternatives
• Acknowledge existing legal foundation for changes