Aircrew Security

A Practical Guide

Clois Williams, Steven Waltrip

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9781351959834
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Mechanical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

The events of 11 September 2001 changed the world, and in particular the aviation community, forever. Since then, the terrorist threat continues to dominate international air travel and pose a real and present danger to airline passengers and aircrew across the globe. In line with this, expectations of renewed commitments to aircrew security training increased, however the practical reality of the standard of information and effective training often fell short. This book aims to help redress this problem. Intended to help flight crews' deal with the new complexities they face in the skies, it is designed to inform and enlighten crewmembers on the issues posed by air rage and terrorist activities, using techniques for conflict resolution, assessment of threat, mental and physical preparation and post-incident considerations. The culmination of work accomplished from a lifetime of employment in aviation, security and training, the authors use a progressive approach to explain security issues from a flight crewmember's perspective. Using detailed studies of current airline security practice, verified by interviews with crewmembers worldwide, the book uncovers many of the shortcomings of international aviation security and presents plausible and innovative solutions to the problems crewmembers face. Having worked with aviation industry leaders, regulatory authorities, major airlines and flight training organizations, the authors provide a unique blend of guidance, useful to the development of security programs for crewmembers by airlines, corporations and air charter companies. Government agencies commissioned with overseeing and developing aircrew security can also use the book when seeking a better understanding of the needs of crewmembers and airlines. Readership includes: Airline flight crewmembers (pilots, flight engineers and flight attendants); major universities and colleges with aviation programs; members of organizations such as the Airline Transport Association, International Airline Transport Association, World Airline Transport Association, Flight Safety Foundation, Pilot and Flight Attendant labor unions as well as government agencies.

Part I
Identifying the Threats

Chapter 1
Aviation Security: Crewmember Perspectives

Aviation Security – Concerns

Aviation security warnings

Before 9/11, there were many warnings by sensible, highly experienced individuals about the lack of adequate security at airports in the United States.¹ In one of the four terminals at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, a private security screening company had security lapses 125 times between My 1997 and 2001.² Lapses included improperly searching passengers and not finding weapons in screened bags. Since these security lapses are for only one terminal at one major airport, one can only imagine how many lapses occur at all the airports in the United States and the rest of the world. These lapses occurred while private security companies were in control of passenger screening. In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) now employs many of the same individuals formerly employed as private screeners. Will the security lapses stop just because the Federal government has taken over this function? Let us remember the US government was the policing agency in charge of security checkpoints both before and after 9/11, was aware of the problems, and yet permitted private security companies to operate with known shortcomings.

Security lapses at airports across America have been well publicized for many years. The General Accounting Office warned in 2000 that airport security had not improved and wrote, ‘the security of the air transport system remains at risk’.³ Between 1988 and 2001, there have been at least five GAO reports, two Presidential Commissions, and major federal legislation addressing or criticizing airport security.⁴ With ail the taxpayer money spent on reports, commissions, and legislation, the government still did not provide adequate airport security to stop 19 terrorists from getting aboard four commercial airliners with ‘legal length’ knives and box cutters and causing the devastation on 9/11. One can only conclude that continued security shortcomings highlighted by the government, prove effective solutions to airline security have not been achieved despite a significant amount of attention to the issue. Just because there has been a significant amount of attention and energy spent on aviation security since 9/11 by the government and airlines, how can anyone believe airline security is satisfactory? Do not mistake considerable government activity and attention, and the billions of dollars spent, for effective solutions to aviation security.

The increasingly violent trend of airline hijackings

The 9/11 hijackings are the culmination of an increasing trend of violent hijackings that began with the advent of suicide bombings in the mid 1980s. After aircraft hijackings subsided in the 1980s, most crewmembers did not pay attention to international terrorism or recognize the threats to them personally. By 2001, flight crew security training was inadequate and training was minimal. If crew security training had kept up with the existing threats, 9/11 may have never happened, or at least the outcomes may have been different. We must be learn from this horrible experience and apply techniques and strategies to prevent another 9/11 from ever occurring again.

The history of airline hijackings during the last two decades indicates that a violent and horrible trend has emerged. Hijackers are no longer in fear for their lives. Instead, they look to martyrdom as a reasonable end to their goals. The hijackings on 9/11 should forever stick in our collective minds as a wakeup call for crewmembers to employ tactics and strategies to combat terrorism and violent hijackings with effective defensive measures.

Flight deck vulnerability

What became evident to us while developing a flight crew security training course at an established airline is just how vulnerable the flight deck continues to be since 9/11. After 9/11, procedures regarding flight crews coming and going from the cockpit changed. Yet, the fact remains the crew may open the flight deck door during flight and thereby create an opportunity for hijackers. We will not go into the specifics of the vulnerability of the flight deck because of the security issues involved. However, based upon our personal observations, the flight decks on commercial passenger airliners continue to be at risk of forced entry by hijackers.

Even with future development of stronger and improved flight deck doors, they will be opened during flight by crewmembers. If during one of these openings of a super-reinforced door, hijackers were to force entry and secure the door, just how are we are going to get them out? This situation does not have an easy solution, but armed pilot tactics could be implemented to defend the flight deck during times of vulnerability. By arming and adequately training pilots with firearms, the chance for a successful forced entry into the flight deck can be greatly reduced by the application of certain tactics. We trust the TS A has incorporated effective tactics into the training of pilots as Federal Flight Deck Officers that began in April 2003. Arming pilots is not the ‘silver bullet’ that will solve all our security problems, as some may want you to think. All crewmembers need training, education and knowledge on combating terrorism.

Hijackings are still possible

The terrorist hijacking of a commercial airliner or other type of aircraft continues to be a distinct possibility. Numerous methods exist that provide terrorists with the ability to hijack an aircraft that would not raise suspicions. Just like us, they ponder ‘what if’ scenarios, study aircraft movements on the surface and in the air, and will find the weak spots in our security systems. Terrorists have proven they have the monetary backing and the intelligence to carry out their missions. If you are a crewmember, or other person who is very familiar with airline travel, couple your personal knowledge of the aviation security system and the aviation industry with your imagination and it will not be difficult for you to envision scenarios that could result in the successful hijacking of commercial aircraft for any terrorist on any given day.

We may all have extreme disdain for the actions of the terrorists on 9/11, and others like them, but let us not forget they carried out their plan masterfully and are much more capable than we ever believed they were. We are not safe from fanatics like them and probably will not be for a long time to come. Let us not once again underestimate the ability of terrorists to carry out their homicidal goals. The threats remain as indicated by US officials warning of a credible hijacking threat during the summer of 2003, Intercepted al-Qaida transmissions indicate a continued interest in hijacking commercial aircraft.⁵ Do not be lulled into complacency because little has occurred since 9/11. The threat is deadly serious and you must be ready for other hijacking attempts. A hijacking attempt may occur on the flight where you are working as a crewmember! Be ready, be vigilant, and be prepared! We must never let a similar attack occur again.

Constant vigilance to the maintenance of our aviation security system by crewmembers and other aviation personnel is the best method to prevent further attacks on aviation. We must continue to search for the weak spots in the aviation security system and correct them immediately. We must be proactive, not just reactive. We must not only develop new tactics and techniques, but must continually update them. We cannot afford to maintain the status quo ever again.

A 1991 report on airport screening of baggage in the United States indicated an effective reduction in hijackings by 64 per cent.⁶ We do know that 100 per cent of the airplanes on 9/11 were hijacked successfully, and this report provides little assurance to us. Another way of interpreting this report is there is a 36 per cent chance that airport screening will not deter a hijacker. So, tell us, ‘do you feel lucky?’

A tremendous amount of attention by governments focused on protecting the ‘front doors’ and the perimeters of commercial airports, with little attention paid to passengers aboard the aircraft. The crucial nerve center of aviation security, the aircraft itself, is still very vulnerable. As flight crews, we are left to chance and our own devices if terrorists are on board our aircraft. Assurances from airlines and government agencies that armed individuals will be interdicted at security checkpoints are contrary to continued reports of security violations. The need to establish and maintain over lapping responsibilities of security – a seamless security approach – will continue to be emphasized throughout this book.

With military actions in Iraq, Afghanistan and others that may occur, we can be certain there will be other hijacking attempts and/or homicidal-suicide bombings. Sabah Khodada, an Iraqi defector who was a captain in the Iraqi Army under Saddam Hussein and worked in terrorist training camps in Iraq, stated in an interview being conducted by PBS that we could expect further hijacking attempts. Iraq’s terrorist training focused on a multitude of tactics primarily targeting American interests, including how to hijack aircraft. Khodada explained to the interviewer that hijack training involved taking over an aircraft by using available weapons on the aircraft, such as food utensils, pencils and pens.⁷ This is what some within the law enforcement community believe to have happened aboard the doomed hijacked airliners on 9/11; the terrorists quickly instilled horror by murdering flight crewmembers causing passengers to freeze and not react, just as they had been trained. (Refer to Chapter 4 on terrorist training,) Do not fall into the complacency trap now the war within Iraq has overthrown Saddam Hussein. Without a doubt, terrorist training camps will be moved to other more hospitable countries sympathetic to terrorists such as Iran, Somalia, North Korea, the western frontier of Pakistan, or to Southeast Asia. Terrorism is a long way from being defeated, if that is even entirely possible.

Training of thousands of recruits in terrorism has not been accomplished for idle threats’, but rather to carry out acts of destruction over a period of years. We can only account for some of those trained in terrorism. It is definitely not over yet, and terrorists get to pick the time and place for their destructive acts.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Dedication
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Photographs
• List of Appendices
• Preface
• PART I: IDENTIFYING THE THREATS
• PART II: PREPARING FOR THE THREATS
• PART III: DEALING WITH THE THREATS
• Epilogue
• Index