Pilot's gun discharges on US Airways flight

[Run&Shoot]

Unbelievably stupid! When I saw the picture fo the holster lock in a previous thread I thought it was one of those photoshop jokes. More messages in this thread confirm that is the actual setup the pilots have to use. OMG, how stupid can TSA get?!

Tens of thousands of police officers manage to carry their handguns securely every day with various thumb break type holsters. How difficult would it have been to have federal LEOs and some expert police trainers get the pilots set up and trained on similar holsters?

The TSA holster has got to be THE DUMBEST IDEA in this century, and may well keep that honor for its duration.

 

[Funderb]

A firearm is a mechanical device made by a man that can and will fail.

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

Pilot suspended after firing gun in cockpit

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A US Airways pilot who accidentally discharged his handgun in the cockpit during a flight has been suspended from the federal program that permits pilots to carry firearms and has been removed from flight duty pending the outcome of an investigation, the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday.

The mid-air incident, which occurred at 8,000 feet as the plane approached Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, was the first in the history of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program, which has trained thousands of pilots to carry weapons to increase aviation safety.

TSA declined to give details about how the gun discharged, but the agency is investigating whether the pilot was handling the gun as directed in policies.

The bullet from the H&K USP .40-caliber gun penetrated the left side of the fuselage but did not hit any crucial wiring or instrumentation, TSA said.

Greg Alter, a spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service that oversees the program, said a number of studies have made clear that damage from the gun's rounds "would in no way threaten the integrity of the aircraft."


Alter said the pilot, who, like all FFDOs, volunteered for the program, "is on what otherwise would be described as 'administrative leave'" pending the investigation.

No one was injured during the flight, which originated in Denver, Colorado. US Airways said in a statement that it removed the aircraft from service and is cooperating with authorities investigating the incident.

The airline said the pilot was "offline" pending the investigation results.

Greg Alter, a spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service that oversees the program, said a number of studies have made clear that damage from the gun's rounds "would in no way threaten the integrity of the aircraft."

Don't tell that to the anti-gunners.

 

[Threecard]

That holster lock setup has to be THE dumbest thing I've ever seen.Just BEGGING for problems, especially based on the description of what can happen given by Jeeppunk (seems pretty likely and easy to do to me, with this setup). lot less bulky.....

Good notional scenario. One question, though--how did the thumbsnap get undone? And let's suppose that it came undone accidentally, what was the guy doing on the flight deck of a 319 that would work the weapon loose enough from a molded holster to cause the problem you describe-- jumping jacks?

As to frangible ammo, who says they use that? The media? More expert bloggers? Again, don't take everything you read as gospel.

 

[ridata]

Post #58

Hmmmm...most of us with beards (and anyone not living in a cave) have known this for years.
What does wearing a beard have to do with it anyway?
Jack

It doesn't look like anybody else replied.. I think what he meant by Beardie is muslim terrorists, who often wear beards.

 

[silverking]

As I was reading the account of the incident, I came to the part that said "accidental discharge". That's when I quit reading the article and went to the more realistic and correct comics section.

 

[FourTeeFive]

More from the press:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080326/ap_on_re_us/gun_on_plane

Pilot was trying to stow gun that fired

By MITCH WEISS, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 10 minutes ago

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A US Airways pilot whose gun fired inside a cockpit said he was trying to stow the weapon as the crew got ready to land, according to a police report obtained Wednesday.
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The pilot didn't tell air traffic control about the shooting or say the bullet had punctured the cockpit until after the plane landed safely at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Saturday, the report said. Photos obtained by The Associated Press show a small exit hole on the plane's exterior below the cockpit window.

US Airways Tower Supervisor Nathan Gundlach told police that when he arrived the pilot was on the phone with the Transportation Security Administration. Gundlach contacted US Airways about the in-flight shooting, but police were not notified until an hour later.

"When I questioned Mr. Gundlach about the delay in airport police being notified, Mr. Gundlach apologized and took full responsibility," an airport police officer wrote in the report.

The Federal Aviation Administration also wasn't told immediately about the incident.

"The first we knew about it was when TSA contacted us," FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said.

US Airways spokeswoman Andrea Rader declined to comment Wednesday, but airline officials have said the accidental discharge did not endanger the 124 passengers and five crew members on board. Greg Alter of the Federal Air Marshal Service said Wednesday it remained under investigation.

Airline experts said the pilot, who was certified to carry the weapon on board, may have reacted appropriately after the accidental discharge.

"If something happens in the air that's not an emergency that's changed the course of action of the aircraft, the priority is to land the airplane," said William Brogan, an aviation expert at Lewis University near Chicago. "It's fly first, communicate second."

The pistol discharged shortly before noon Saturday aboard Flight 1536 from Denver to Charlotte, as the Airbus A319 was at about 8,000 feet and about 10 minutes from landing.

The unidentified pilot, who has been taken off duty during the investigation, was part of the federal flight deck officer program created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. More than 10,000 flight deck officers — captains or first officers — have taken part in the program, the Air Line Pilots Association said.

Saturday's incident was the first time a pilot's weapon had been fired on a plane since the program was created, Alter said.

The plane will be grounded in Charlotte for several more days until the FAA approves the repairs.

___

Associated Press writer Mike Baker in Raleigh contributed to this report.

 

[Sungun09]

but this does somewhat prove that there is no explosive decompression of the cabin. I know it was only 8,000 feet but if you see how Boeing jets in particular, are built, the fuselage framing works something like ripstop nylon. There are stringers every few feet that would stop any kind of "run" should there be a crack.

I think it was a lesson learned when the Dehaviland comets, the first commercial jet, were exploding like balloons at altitude back in the 50's.

 

[Titan6]

One accidental discharge that didn't hurt anybody is one too many. It very well may have struck a kitten down in the cargo hold. It is time to remove all guns from all the pilots before it is too late. While we are at it we should remove the guns from all of the municipal police forces nationwide that have had accidental discharges as well. Clearly they are all incompetent to handle firearms.