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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."
What about just having a security camera in the passenger cabin?
In other news, I recommend to Taco that he blow up this childish 403'ing of the w3 validator so we can actually, uhm, test your new layout as you have asked us to. Kthx.
Take off every sig. For great justice.
This sounds pretty good to me to but rather than blocking ot what if someone learns how to send fake signals. Instead of blowing up or hijacking planes a person could cause several to make emergency landings, thereby really screwing up air travel.
You are so boring that when I see you my feet go to sleep.
Being able to go up and talk to the pilots as a kid? and they gave you those little wings.
I think I have a few of those still lying around. I remember when they used to be made out of metal, not the cheap plastic ones. I think you can still get the wings, but not personally from the pilot.
Before you die, you see DoubleRing...
I think this could be worked around fairly easily. Heartbeat ping to cabin device with encoded id would do it. If the personal transponder stops signalling (or if they all do) have a look through one of the the aforementioned discretely-placed cabin-cams. Analogue-only alarm signals are so last century.
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
Good point. What they need is a way to decompress the cabin from the cockpit. If you're really in a hijack situation just nose the plane over until you're at about 12,000' AGL, open the cabin to the outside and then start heading up again until everybody is passed out. Or release a sleeping gas into the cabin. Or get the flight attendants to served the hijackers drinks that have been spiked. Or maybe just invite the hijackers up to the cabin and give them those little fake pilots wings, which is probably all they're really after. Or....
http://www.rootstrikers.org/
Put a toilet in the cockpit. Put food and a place to lie down in the cockpit. Make the cockpit slightly larger and have 100% security (or close to it).
Oh, and what percentage of flights are 23 hours? I can't think of any. Long haul flights are in the 12 hour range.
Too often, people look at the "oo-aah" factor, and leave the proven technologies behind.
It couldn't be too hard to provide CCTV into the forward cabin, back to the cockpit - whether an actual screen (does the cockpit need more clutter?) or as an input into an automated pattern-match system. Any manic activity in the cabin gets noticed; any attempt to gain entry to the cockpit is checked against a video screen... however the mechnics function.
Providing a wireless system for "discrete notification" into the cockpit? As others have pointed out - how long until that gets hacked, or until lack of maintenance and/or interest renders it useless?
CCTV is widely deployed, secure, etc, etc. A cabin looks pretty tame 99% of the time, and if it isn't calm and organised, the captain probably needs to know anyway.
With each breath in, a flower somewhere opens; with each breath out, a flower withers away. In between lies beauty.
It doesn't matter if the details published or not. Some of the 9/11 highjackers had gone to flight schools. They were familiar with the operation of the airliner and the crew. Secret procedures leak one way or another.
;)
Anyone concerned with highjacking another plane would probably know about "secret" tricks like wristbands or hidden alarm buttons.
I think this is all kind of moot, however, because anyone highjacking an airliner these days is going to get beaten to death by angry passengers who have nothing to lose. The phrase "I have a knife, I am taking over this plane!" no longer has power.
I do like that heart monitor idea: that would help the pilots keep tabs on the hot new flight attendant's vitals.
(I am not being a pig: there are female pilots and male flight attendants too.)
Sig for hire.
Cockpit has only one door which goes to the outside. No access from the passenger area at all. I believe there are already planes like this.
I just returned from a vacation to Europe and was shocked and amazed that the cabin had no cameras of any sort. I mean, cameras are so good and so small these days that there really is no reason not to. We each had interactive screens in the backs of our seats, but they can't put in a couple cheapo webcams?
I know cameras only show you the bad stuff happening and don't do anything to prevent it, but tipping the pilots off sooner than later can only be better than what we have now.
The other thing I wondered is... couldn't the pilots suddenly go into a dive, rendering the hijackers walking around helpless? Sure you'd surprise that guy in the bathroom and a couple others (including stewards/stewardesses), but it'd be a small price to pay, I'd think.
As others here have said - it's best to Keep It Simple, Stupid. Sometimes I wonder if the FAA thinks that K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Stupid, Stupid. A reinforced cockpit door which can only be unlocked by the pilots - maybe even with an access slot for food/coffee etc (a la jail cell door) would be fine. Beyond that, move the cockpit door to the outside of the aircraft (access slot for food/coffee etc.). If anything, if you really want to go nuts; add a closed circuit surveillance system for the passenger sections on top of the door (or lack thereof) and you're ready to go.
The last thing we want is a bunch of false positives, "oops, the battery ran out", etc. etc..
the same shit that happened on the Pennsylvania flight 93 will now be standard procedure...
You are underestimating the US government. The Pennsylvania flight 93 was shot down. I have a friend who was listening to a police scanner down there at the time, and it was quite clear from the radio traffic that it was shot down, and the passengers had nothing to do with it. Jumping the terrorists is the best thing the passengers could do in a situation like that, no doubt, but it just wasn't what's happened.
If you don't believe me (why would you?) think about this: The official version said that the passengers used their cell phones to find out what the hijackers were up to, and that put them (the passengers) up to trying to take over. Please try using your cell phone on a plane next tiem you fly. Don't worry - it won't interfere with the planes' equipment a bit - the reason they ask you not to use the phone in flight is that they haven't tested all types of cell phones against the equipment, but there are no known cases of interference. Turn on your cell phone and try to get a connection. It won't work, unless the plane is very near the ground - because the cell towers have directional antennas that only work along the ground.