Pilot's gun discharges on US Airways flight

wcnc via Drudge Report ^ | March 23, 2008 | DIANA RUGG

[RDTF]

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- A US Airways pilot’s gun accidentally discharged during a flight from Denver to Charlotte Saturday, according to as statement released by the airline. The statement said the discharge happened on Flight 1536, which left Denver at approximately 6:45am and arrived in Charlotte at approximately 11:51am.

The Airbus A319 plane landed safely and none of the flight’s 124 passengers or five crew members was injured, according to the statement. It was a full flight. An airline spokeswoman said the plane has been taken out of service to make sure it is safe to return to flight. A Transportation Safety Administration spokeswoman reached by WCNC Sunday said the pilot is part of TSA’s Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program, which trains pilots to carry guns on flights.

-snip-

[NonLinear]

Actually, there is nothing wrong with a Glock. Just keep the dang thing in a holster until you want to shoot somebody! Then it will work, guarandamnteed, 18 times in a row.

We have a winner!

Mysteriously, my Glock has never discharged unexpectedly in the 15 years that I've owned it. And with three clips, I have a full deck to deal, should the need arise.

[donmeaker]

Paraord’s LDA hammer is partially cocked too. If you don’t believe it, try inserting a dead cartridge (on the range, keep it pointed in a safe direction etc!), and then pull the trigger twice. I agree they have the dissimilar safety setup, and are thus different from the others that way.

Daewoo pistols have a partially cocked safety.

I like the ParaOrd designs a lot. I have small to medium hands, and the double stack isn’t good for me, but their LTC in particular works for me very well.

[longtermmemmory]

I think they are bismuth rounds which have low penetration on bulkheads. Saw a video they were like plaster of paris bullets.

[ccmay]

I’ve seen several reports of such NDs with Glocks. I refuse to have one. Better to have no safety at all than a stupid safety.

Yup. Worthless pieces of used food. The proper flight deck weapon is a good quality 1911-pattern .45 in Condition 3 (full mag, empty chamber.)

-ccm

[donmeaker]

I carry my .45 with its 4 (spare) magazines.

Revolver is for bedside.

[Jasper]

"IMO, it's safer to leave it loaded, with a round in the chamber, and the gun in the holster."

"B-B-But it-itzzz not suppose ta have a (snork) bullet in the buh-buh barrel thingy if you're not using it (sniff)".

[NYleatherneck]

What good is a weapon without a round in the chamber ? Might as well be carrying a brick.

Semper Fi
glock owner x 2

[choose4urfuture]

looks like more ammo for the liberal propaganda mission to ban guns

[Nashvegas]

Was the Pilots name Barney Fife?

[DoingTheFrenchMistake]

Hark! I hear a pistol shot!

[Eaker]

You have an uphill fight talking Glocks to the pinky extended crowd around here.

;<)

[TheBattman]

Lovely. I was wondering how long it would take for some idiot to jeopardize the armed pilot program...

[Dick Vomer]

[Red6]

I don't like to bumbleFu%$ around with a gun, especially not while under stress in the dark, etc. When I want to shoot, it should shoot. When I don't want it to shoot, it shouldn't. The trigger is there for that purpose.

Safety systems don't make the gun safer. They are hurdles, obstacles built into the operation of the weapon to prevent stupid people from hurting themselves or others. If designed well, like on an XD or Glock, you'll disengage the safety in a natural movement without it delaying your operation of this weapon. That's not the case on many designs, and frankly the same reason why these safety systems are so liked (trigger/beaver-tail) is why they are also essentially worthless as a safety, because they impose no real obstacle to use. It's a paradox. The idiot, board and playing with the trigger, will set off a Glock even with its safety.

Stupid people are dangerous, another safety won't help that, nor will another warning sticker. The more crap you put on this tool, the more can break and the more complex its operation becomes. A good weapon such as a Sig, is simple in design and operation. -IMHO

[airplaneguy]

No they use USP H&K 0.40 cal.

[airplaneguy]

All FFDO’s are required to have a round in the chamber during service. They are Deputized Federal Air Marshalls.

[HundredDollars]

I really don't see why they should even have them in the cockpit at all. This incident is living proof why.

9-11 is deadly proof why they should be in the cockpit. There is no reason why there should be a round in the chamber though. If anyone was to try to get through the secured door, there is plenty of time to rack the slide or rotate the cylinder.

The worst idea I heard was to give the pilots tasers instead of pistols. That's just what is needed: 100,000 volts inside the cockpit of a fly-by-wire aircraft. I'll take my chances with the occasional errant bullet.

[buccaneer81]

Hey at least I know the plane is maintained by the best union workers available.

Not necessarily. Now some airlines have them maintained by the best Central American workers available.

[El Gato]

Unless it knocked out a window, no.

Even if it did, the cabin exhaust valve would just close to compensate for the loss of air through the window. You might not want to be sitting by that window, it would be kinda breezy, but there would be no explosive decompression.

Nor would this happen:

That was caused by multi point corrosion. The top of the fuselage pealed back at altitude (24,000 feet). Even then, only a single flight attendant,Clarabelle Lansing, and no passengers, "left" the aircraft.

That sort of thing is why they tell you to wear your seatbelt whenever you are in your seat. :)

[El Gato]

There is no such thing as an accidental discharge.

I know, that's why I added "hmmm".

However negligent behavior that causes something like this is still accidental, in the sense that it's not deliberate, just negligent. Which of course is the term I should have used, Negligent Discharge.