[Defiant]

Gonna need an armed flight attendant. Another method would be to have a phone near the cockpit that the crew can use to get back in. GM can unlock a car door with OnStar, so could ground control. There would have to be a system in place to make sure the terrorists aren't the ones on the phone.

The other method would be for planes to be programmed not to crash, and to stop taking manual instructions if they are headed for a crash collision. This would present its own problems, like hacking.

There are many options to improve the safety, but all will have drawbacks and weak points.

[Svartalfiar]

The other method would be for planes to be programmed not to crash, and to stop taking manual instructions if they are headed for a crash collision. This would present its own problems, like hacking.

So how do you land then? A landing is, essentially, just a controlled crash that keeps the plane in one piece. A gradual descent into the side of a mountain isn't gonna look much different from landing to the computer.