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Wireless Devices Could Foil Hijack Attempts
ErikPeterson writes Flight attendants soon may be outfitted with wireless devices that would be used to alert pilots of attempted hijackings or other in-air security threats.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it plans to require that airlines provide a way for the cabin crew to "discreetly notify" pilots "in the event of suspicious activity or security breaches in the cabin."
The proposed regulation, which is not yet final, grew out of an advisory panel that the Transportation Department created after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. That panel recommended that cabin crew have "a method for immediate notification to the flight deck during a suspected threat in the cabin" that would permit pilots to take appropriate action, such as beginning an immediate landing."
How long until someone hacks these devices and starts sending false alarms? Terrorists wouldn't have to actually hijack planes anymore! Just stuff the devices in someone's baggage with a timer on them. They're non-explosive, so they wouldn't be sniffed out, and I'm sure they could disguise them. All you need is a power source and the transmitter. Think of how easy it would be to freeze airlines. I hope they really make an effort to make sure that these things are secure.
Before you die, you see DoubleRing...
It's not just blocking them. You'd have to count on the crew actually being able to set off the alarm. Think of banks: they started putting buttons under the counter or in a discreet location. Now a holdup person comes in and the first thing they want is everyone's hands in the air.
I'm trying to imagine a device a crew memember could activate without it being seen. Once word gets out that they press a button on a wrist band, or something else, hijackers will know what action to watch for and what device to remove from the staff.
Maybe they'd be better off with something like the health monitors I saw on the Tour de France. They're wireless and transmit things like heart rate to a monitor. The pilot would have to evaluate the info. If he sees one crew member with a sudden heart rate increase, he can check on that person, but if it happens to two or more at once, that would be a strong indication that something stressful is happening in the plane.
if it were a wristband i would press it anyway if a hijacker told me to put my hands up. i would take the risk to save people on the ground. odds are the hijackers dont have a gun or anything else too dangerous. besides that, i really dont think a plane is going to be successfully hijacked for a looooooooong time. flight 93 is evidence for that.
always mosh clockwise
How many hijackings have there been since 9/11? My naive expectation is that hijackers would now have a short life expectancy, no matter how they're armed.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
No door between cabin and cockpit!
Wow, no more problems. Hijackers can do what ever they want in the back but they can't get to the pilots.
For current planes, retrofit with impenetrable doors that can not be opened after take of. Even by the pilots.
Now with out control of the plane there is no reason to hijack and the skies are safe!
Remember KISS
Keep it simple stupid.
I have a better, more proven technology that will foil hijack attempts.
A lock.
This simple mechanical mechanism will permanently seal the door between the cockpit and the passenger compartments, thus preventing all access to the pilots while the plane is in transit. Best of all, it has thousands of years of successful field application behind it!
Alternatively, build a seperate, external door to access the cockpit and replace the internal door with a solid wall. You can push the wall back a bit and create a little suite in there so they have food and facilities during long flights. Problem solved!
=Smidge=