A Potential Solution to Suicide by Aircraft

26 March 2015 | Me

[Ben Mugged]

I have a solution for the problem of a pilot getting locked out of the cockpit allowing the co-pilot to commit suicide taking 149 other innocent people with him. Doesn't require expensive hardware, only a policy change.

Make the cockpit a "No Lone Zone". Military folks will recognize this as an area designated for the buddy system. In other words you are never allowed to be alone in the aircraft cockpit. When either the pilot or co-pilot wants to leave, another member of the crew must take his place.

[Ben Mugged]

Comments?

[cripplecreek]

That seems to be the way everyone is leaning.

I also think the black boxes should record video of the cockpit as well.

[CivilWarBrewing]

No muzzies, no Atheists, no homos. Start there.

[DBrow]

And both people locked in the cockpit should be armed. If only the bad one is armed, the other is irrelevant.

[Sequoyah101]

It has been in place in the US for a long time.

[CGASMIA68]

No go back to the old way Pilot, C Pilot and Jump seat guy/F Eng.

Or put the air marshall up there with a bazooka

[backwoods-engineer]

Seriously? So, neither the pilot nor the co-pilot can take a whiz on a long flight?

The real solution is to get some pilots that you trust, and start asking them at interview if they have Islamist or other kooky allegiances.

[Truth29]

That is an FAA requirement in the US, but not in Europe.

[FatherofFive]

So, neither the pilot nor the co-pilot can take a whiz on a long flight?

One of the attendants needs to occupy the cockpit if nature calls.

There has to be an override on the lock, preferably by the air marshal.

[William Tell]

I think the chances that a workable process can be created which will protect the passengers from a pilot or co-pilot who is set on killing them is ZERO.

Once you let such a person control an aircraft, it's OVER. It's too late. Any preventive measures must occur prior to such a person entering the plane.

[Flag_This]

"Once you let such a person control an aircraft, it's OVER. It's too late."

Imagine how bad it is when such a person is president.

[norton]

FOX has been reporting that all US flights require two crew members on flight deck at all times and that Euro airlines will likely adopt same policy.

[SunkenCiv]

The cockpit could also have a john.

[QT3.14]

= Once you let such a person control an aircraft, it's OVER. It's too late. Any preventive measures must occur prior to such a person entering the plane. =

I agree. Having a FA present while one of the crew is gone does little good if the evil-doer overpowers that person.

[Tucker39]

What about a combination lock on the door with a key pad on the outside. The pilot in this case could have let himself in and recovered the aircraft?

I can’t believe the powers that be couldn’t foresee this problem right from the get go, and make provision for it.

[Karl Spooner]

What did the early astronauts do?

[UCANSEE2]

A320 Cockpit Door Panel
Cockpit Door Panel | Cockpit Door Switch
Cockpit Door Switch

UNLOCK
Unlocks door when raised above the detent and held in this position. Door must be pushed to open. UNLOCK is an override and reset selection of any previous action.

NORM
When NORM is selected, it allows the door to be locked when closed. It also allows the door to be opened after an emergency access code entry and 30 second delay in case of pilot incapacitation.

LOCK
Momentarily placing the cockpit door switch to LOCK illuminates the red cockpit access panel light, rejects keypad entry request, inhibits aural alerts, and prevents further access code entry for 20 minutes. The cockpit door switch returns to NORM when released, but remains in locked mode for 20 minutes or until UNLOCK is selected.

There is no cockpit indication when LOCK is selected; therefore, if the door is closed and the cockpit is unattended during a locked period, the door cannot be opened until the timer expires or power is removed from the airplane.

pprune.org

261 posted on 03/25/2015 6:51:16 PM PDT by Praxeologue ( ‘)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3272136/posts?q=1&;page=251

[Dilbert San Diego]

But its so small snd tight up there. Is there room for a toilet?,, and for issues of modesty if there was a toilet what if one pilot is female?

[SunkenCiv]

Astronaut-style catheterization then.

[SunkenCiv]

Alas, you’re probably right — if someone is hot to do something like this and doesn’t care if they live or die in the process. When the EgyptAir flight crashed in the Atlantic, the copilot was the one who shut things down so that the plane would auger in, reciting his b-s muzzie “prayers”. The pilot was unable to restore the plane to normal flight in time.