U.S. Won't Allow Guns in Cockpits

AP ^ | 2-21-2002 | JONATHAN D. SALANT

[Cagey]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal government said Tuesday that pilots will not be allowed to have guns in the cockpits of commercial airplanes.

The announcement was made at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing by John Magaw, undersecretary for transportation security. It followed months of debate over whether arming pilots would be a deterrent to hijackers.

Both Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge previously indicated their opposition to arming pilots.

Magaw gave no reason for his decision, which was announced in response to a question from Arizona Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the committee.

Magaw said a formal announcement will be made later in the week.

Airline pilots have been pushing for guns, saying it would allow them to confront a hijacker who breaks into the cockpit. Hijackers took over four commercial airlines on Sept. 11, crashing two of them into the World Trade Center and a third into the Pentagon. The fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Flight attendants, meanwhile, have advocated nonlethal weapons, such as stun guns, that they could use in emergencies.

Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., who chairs the Commerce Committee, said guns would not be needed as long as pilots kept cockpit doors locked while in flight.

"You can put the rule in right now and cut out all the argument about pistols and stun guns," Hollings said.

Opponents of arming pilots have said reinforced cockpit doors now required on all planes mean that pistols are unnecessary. They have also expressed concern that an errant shot might hit a passenger or damage a key electrical system on the plane.

Two House Republicans have introduced legislation to arm pilots and the House Transportation Committee is scheduled to take up the bill this week.

[dixierat22]

And so "Homeland Security" does not include safe airways. What a shock!

[lodwick]

Those idiots. bttt

[freeeee]

Thanks for NOTHING, Mr. President.

[mattdono]

They have also expressed concern that an errant shot might hit a passenger or damage a key electrical system on the plane.

Really? Well, apparently, the passenger and plane are going down anyway...and to take out a building with thousands of people in it.

I don't want to sound crasse, but a wounded passenger and a damaged plane seem like a small price to pay so that THOUSANDS don't die again.

FRICKIN' IDIOTS! Tom Ridge and Norm Mineta ought to be ashamed of themselves.

[boris]

Time for a pilot strike.

[Sir Gawain]

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

[RoughDobermann]

Wait a minute. How can you even possibly think about giving pilots access to a deadly weapon.... Oh, wait a minute...

[ladtx]

This argument's not over by a long shot. The "on high" pronouncements of what's best for us ain't gonna fly.

[1Old Pro]

Politicians as a whole are scared of guns and have absolutely no idea how they are used daily to stop crime. They seem to think that "the government" can save us yet readily admit something will happen and they can't do anything about it. It's that they WON'T do anything about it.

[Cagey]

Time for a pilot strike.

And if that doesn't work, a passenger strike.

[jpl]

Another bad decision by the Bush administration. I just can't understand what is going on with these guys.

[RoughDobermann]

Opponents of arming pilots have said reinforced cockpit doors now required on all planes mean that pistols are unnecessary.

Really? I've flown the last two weeks on CRJs that did NOT have reinforced cockpit doors. It guess it depends on how one defines "all."

[Crowcreek]

No problem here -- I'll just bring a 'softie' seat-pack emergency chute next time I fly.

[anniegetyourgun]

"Two House Republicans have introduced legislation to arm pilots and the House Transportation Committee is scheduled to take up the bill this week."

[goldstategop]

Time for Congress to overrule Norman Mineta and Tom Ridge. Over President's Bush's veto if necessary. These two gentlemen make me sick.

[leadpenny]

What a load of crap. Mr. President, this is pandering, and you know it.

[Rebelbase]

"Opponents of arming pilots have said reinforced cockpit doors now required on all planes mean that pistols are unnecessary"

These are the same idiots that thought it was ok to allow people to bring box cutters and razor blades onto airplanes also.

[Ancesthntr]

This kind of idiocy is why I won't fly on a commercial airliner anymore. The only thing between me and death by either flying into a building or being shot down by an F-16 is...NOTHING! I guess that I'll just drive, further enriching the raghead supporters of terrorism.

Haven't these F'ing idiot employees of ours ever heard of multiple lines of defense? Or is it that they just don't care about us average taxpaying, law-abiding citizens (after all, they all fly on military jets where the pilots DO have guns)?

[Republic]

This is sure disappointing. I would be comforted greatly by knowing the pilot of any plane in which I am riding had the capacity to protect the cockpit. This is a shame.