Cargo Pilots Worry About Terror Threats

Newsday ^ | November 30, 2003 | Sylvia Adcock

[sarcasm]

The warning weeks ago was swift and simple: Terrorists are considering using cargo aircraft -- freighters that carry mostly boxes instead of people -- as weapons.

While much attention has been focused on the lack of screening of freight, little has been paid to the prospect of terrorists commandeering a cargo plane. Homeland Security officials said earlier this month they had intelligence that indicated al-Qaida may be plotting an attack in which cargo planes would be hijacked and flown into targets such as bridges or nuclear power plants.

While the warning spurred some immediate changes in cargo security, the fleet of all-cargo aircraft -- including some of the biggest airplanes in the world -- are often outside the most secure area of an airport. And some cargo pilots say they've been harassed when they question some of their passengers, who can have access to the cockpit.

[OldPossum]

Another reason that that slimeball Mineta ought to be fired.

[I_dmc]

thought this shortly after 9/11

[pabianice]

Really? And just how is a terrorist gonna sneak aboard a cargo airplane? Disguised as a box of machine parts, perhaps? Pretend to be an in-flight meal? This is really stupid.

[Gritty]

In Memphis, a major hub for FedEx, MD-11 freighters are in an area where employees have not had background checks that include FBI fingerprints... But the carriers can't do the fingerprint investigations unless ordered to by the government... In fact, FedEx has petitioned the government to allow such checks.

Unbelieveable! How many years has it been since 911!!??

It looks like Underperformin' Norman is still at it. Can't profile employees and make them "feel bad", can we?

[sarcasm]

Did you read the article?

[azcap]

Terrorists don't need to "sneak" onto a cargo jet. They're just gonna crash the gate and be at the side of the plane in 30 seconds armed to the teeth. There are hundreds of smaller airports in smaller cities (think  South Bend IN, Lubbock TX, Peoria IL) where you can drive down a road and nothing separates a vehicle full of terrorists from a FedEX or UPS jet but 200 yards and a chain link fence. Here is my nightmare scenario. It's Friday night about 8PM in Lubbock, TX (substitute, Shreveport, Amarillo or Colorado Springs if you like) On the tarmac is a fully fuelled Fed-Ex jet getting ready to take off with the days haul of overnights to the Memphis hub. Doing 60mph, Ibrahim and his 4 martyrdom pals drive their Suburban through  the chain link fence like it was paper. In 30 seconds they're beside the jet. Anybody who heard the noise and sticks their nose out of jet gets a face full of bullets - no box cutters and plastic knives here. They can bring any weapon they can fit in the Chevy. In another 30 second everyone on the plane is dead and they have the cockpit. In a perfect world, airport security saw the incident instantly from the tower and has already notified the Feds. In a perfect world 2 Air Force fighters flying a CAP over Dallas are vectored to Lubbock. Problem is the flyboys are 10 minutes out and the airport is 2 minutes flight time from the local high school. It's Friday night football in small town Texas,  6000 fans are in the stands. All packed in nice and close praise be to Allah.