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Season Five Research Files
Episode Twenty
2:00am - 3:00am
Increasing security aboard planes arose after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Now, United States pilots are allowed to carry handguns for personal safety and armed air marshals are aboard flights. The U.S. Congress also allotted $250 million to reinforce cockpit doors of commercial aircrafts. In the case of a risk that an aircraft will be used to hit a target, the plane may be shot down even though it would kill all passengers and crew aboard.
The Air Line Pilots Association has made further suggestions to changing hijack response procedures. One involves dealing with suicidal hijackers aggressively, including depressurizing the aircraft or drastic aircraft maneuvering designed to keep hijackers off-balance and away from the cockpit. They also suggest that the cockpit be protected at all costs, regardless of what kinds of security breaches have occurred in the back of the aircraft.
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