Silicon Valley's Plan to Stop Skyjackings -- All of Them

ZDNet Anchordesk ^ | 14 Sept 01 | David Coursey

[Hank Rearden]

Click Source link above to read article describing a plan to incorporate a "panic button" and GPS in cockpits to foil the reasons for hijackings, as well as a discussion thread on that site.

Intriguing idea, I believe.

[KSREP]

Fantastic idea. I wonder if this has been forwarded on to the FAA? Thanks for the post!

[WRhine]

I had the same exact idea 3 days ago. The technology for this has been here for quite some time and has only gotten better. Planes today can already fly themselves. All we need is a well designed, integrated system that can take over the controls of a plane when the pilots are under some kind of terrorist threat. Also, with GPS, a computer driven system could insure that a plane stays away from any building or object out of its flight path no matter what the circumstances.

[RightOnline]

Sounds like a decent idea, but as a former airplane driver, I already know exactly how to disable it. If I know, you can rest assured the bad guys would know how to do same double-quick. I applaud the thinking, though.

[Goldi-Lox]

One of the engineers I work with came up with a similar idea. Hit a hidden button, and all flight data is locked. The airplane is then on automatic pilot with the initial course information that was plugged it. It can only be unlocked from the Air Traffic Control Tower via transponder code. Navigation via GPS. Any idiot who tries to hijack the aircraft once the button is hit, is just fooling with instruments that do not respond.

Also, retrofit the aircraft to have a SOLID bulkhead between the passengers and the pilot. Insert a special hatch for the pilots only to use.

[Crispy]

I am a computer programmer and I don't think I would want my life in the hands of such a system.

I think a better method is to totally isolate the pilots in the cockpit for the whole flight. Nobody allowed in period. Crew members could communicate with the pilots through an intercom in the crew area.

[danielobvt]

And would be the biggest target ever for hack attacks. A few clicks and hundreds, not the 4 that we have had. Thats why such a system would scare the hell out me(would basically prevent me from flying again, nothing is that secure)

[WRhine]

And would be the biggest target ever for hack attacks. A few clicks and hundreds, not the 4 that we have had. Thats why such a system would scare the hell out me(would basically prevent me from flying again, nothing is that secure)

I am not talking about a system that has any kind of internet access. I am talking about a black box type closed system.

[Hank Rearden]

Crew members have to eat. Crew members have to pee.

And your "solution" doesn't address the psychology of a hijack. If the flight crew is hearing their friends and their passengers being executed one by one just outside their "impenetrable" door, how long do YOU think they could hold out?

[Post Toasties]

This is quite a bit like an idea I mentioned at FR immediately after the WTC/Pentagon terrorist attack. Pilots switch over all control of plane to ground control with fly-by-wire.

Guess great minds run in the same gutter.

[Skip Ripley]

What if we set up a delivery system for gas in the passenger cabin or a method to quickly lower the oxygen level to put everyone into a sharp sleep?

Better still, why don't we stop hiring waitresses and start hiring linebackers for flight attendants.

[Crispy]

"Crew members have to eat. Crew members have to pee. And your "solution" doesn't address the psychology of a hijack. If the flight crew is hearing their friends and their passengers being executed one by one just outside their "impenetrable" door, how long do YOU think they could hold out?" When you say crew members, I assume you are talking about the pilot and co-pilot. Crew members have to eat - put a slot where food can be passed to them. Crew members have to pee - easy, put a lavatory that is in the secure area. Psychology - this can be overcome with training. As soon as a situation occurs, they turn off all means of communication with the rest of the crew and passengers. They immediately land at the nearest airport.

[Crispy]

Yikes, sorry for the formatting in above message

"Crew members have to eat. Crew members have to pee.

And your "solution" doesn't address the psychology of a hijack. If the flight crew is hearing their friends and their passengers being executed one by one just outside their "impenetrable" door, how long do YOU think they could hold out?"

When you say crew members, I assume you are talking about the pilot and co-pilot.

Crew members have to eat - put a slot where food can be passed to them.

Crew members have to pee - easy, put a lavatory that is in the secure area.

Psychology - this can be overcome with training. As soon as a situation occurs, they turn off all means of communication with the rest of the crew and passengers. They immediately land at the nearest airport.

[wcbtinman]

Much simpler system. Without cost to the govt or the airlines. Can't be "hacked".

Arm the passengers.

[breakem]

Listening to Dr. Bill Watenberg 810 AM from San Fran. Caller suggested black box info should be continuously transmitted to a data base during the flight. Take away the need to have a black box hunt and hope for good recording.

[merkava]

good try, but very bad idea. who lands the plane "safely" who keeps the hijackers from killing all the people on board? at 30,000 feet. the hijackers want to strike terror into plane travel in america, that hurts the economy and makes people fearful. 2 armed plain clothes marshalls, one in the front and back will stop them dead if they stand up in the isle. i would like to see a muslim hijacker with a knife try to overpower a marshall with a .45 america wouldn't have a problem again with hijackers. bombs are a different subject.

[eggman]

What if we set up a delivery system for gas in the passenger cabin or a method to quickly lower the oxygen level to put everyone into a sharp sleep?

Not a bad idea, but a few problems....

What gas do we use that is powerful enough to knock out a 250 pound hijacker without killing or injuring the infant and geriatric passengers? What happens if the system accidentally discharges gas, is the airline liable? A gas mask (or oxygen mask) would allow the terrorists to avoid the effects of the gas while everyone else is now incapacitated.

Better still, why don't we stop hiring waitresses and start hiring linebackers for flight attendants.

Now there's an idea that would put an end to air rage and make the hijackers think twice. But Air Marshals don't need to be linebackers. Just having someone on the plane who is armed and trained to stop terrorists will make them think twice. Training the fight attendants to use stun guns and pepper spray to incapacitate the hijackers would also help.

Prior to 9/11, everyone had been conditioned to just cooperate and negotiate with a hijacker. This is no longer a realistic option.

[Hank Rearden]

What if we set up a delivery system for gas in the passenger cabin or a method to quickly lower the oxygen level to put everyone into a sharp sleep?

This one's almost too easy. A "good" idea until you consider a terrorist holding a grenade with the pin pulled out. What happens if he goes to sleep?

Better still, why don't we stop hiring waitresses and start hiring linebackers for flight attendants.

'Cause I don't want to look at linebackers' legs. And what I say goes. Sorry, that's just the way it is.