Heckler and Koch Compact USP40 LEM 40S&W
Posted on 03/24/2008 12:39:21 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
A US Airways pilot accidentally discharged his gun in the cockpit during a flight from Denver to Charlotte, N.C., according to the Transportation Safety Administration.
The Airbus A319 landed safely after the incident Saturday and without any injuries to the 124 passengers on board, a spokesperson for the TSA told ABCNEWS.com today.
The TSA said the passengers were unaware that a gun had been fired in the cockpit.
The pilot, who both the TSA and US Airways declined to identify, was a member of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program, an initiative put in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The initiative allows authorized members of cockpit crews to carry weapons on board.
"There are thousands of federal flight deck officers and this has never happened before," said the spokesperson. "This was probably a bit of a fluke."
The Federal Flight Deck Officer program provides training to eligible crew members on the use of firearms, use of force, legal issues, defensive tactics, the psychology of survival and program standard operating procedures, according to TSA's Web site.
Flight deck officers must requalify for the program twice a year; the pilot involved in Saturday's incident requalified in November 2007.
The gun went off in the plane's cockpit but spokespeople for both US Airways and TSA declined to comment on the position of the weapon when it was discharged, citing an ongoing investigation. The TSA also declined to say what the bullet struck.
"Federal flight deck officers are authorized and trained to carry their firearms on their person inside the flight deck of an aircraft," said the TSA spokesperson.
The weapon used by the officers are H&K 40-caliber semiautomatics.
As for the pilot's future employment with US Airways, the spokesperson for the airline told ABCNEWS.com that it's against company policy to divulge any information about the employee.
The US Airways aircraft has been grounded since the incident, pending the investigation.
“Just watch how this all comes out with calls to remove guns from the cockpits because pilots aren’t responsible enough to handle them.”
I wonder how many police officers have had an accidental discharge of their weapon? It must be the inherint evil in guns themselves that cause such things. ; )
I will Skyman!
I probably should have posted a disclaimer when I made my comments about Glock. It was not my intention to disrespect Glock at all. I have never personally fired one. My information came directly from a few people that do own them, my sister being one. The stories I've heard make me nervous about having one as a carry gun and I am an experienced firearm person. I'm 53 and have been shooting since I was 12. I've had a carry license for 8 years and I passed my written exam and shooting exam at the top of the class. When I took my exam I was the only woman in a class of 24 men. I shot better than almost all the men in the class. One of the "good old boys" even got so nervous he threw up all over the place. LOL I'm not a novice by any means. I probably should shoot my sister's Glock someday to see for myself. :-) I was repeating what I had been told by people that I figure should know.
Even though I've been shooting all kinds of firearms for over 40 years, handguns are not my preference in firearms. My only interest in handguns is to have a gun that is small enough to carry and powerful enough to do the job if, heaven forbid, I should ever need it. My first love in firearms is, and has always been, a short double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun.
Probably wing shooting the passing jet blue jet !
TSA should suspend the flight officer’s firearm authority until he satisfactorily submits to training and certification at his expense that he can competently handle the designated handgun. This is the kind of news that the gun grabbers pounce upon as examples of gun nuts gone berserk, etc...
“typical flight attendant”
You sound like Osama Obama!
Non event in my book..........:o)
Heckler and Koch Compact USP40 LEM 40S&W
When I first went into the service Uncle sugar issued a Mod 15 SW revolver. SP’s controllers and anyone else not allowed a 1911A1 wore an issue jordan style holster . As they sat down in chairs with arms on em the arm would un-snap the holster the first time. The next time they sat down the arm of the evil chairs would catch the hammer spur just enough to draw it back but not cock it. As the hammer cleared the arm on the chair it dropped just enough to fire !
Lots of pucker factor boomage till that line of “office chairs” was tossed to DRMO for salvage sales !!!
Lots of factors. Sad to say that carrying a gun is not unlike driving a car, your bound to get a dent in that perfect shine at times. Trick is not let it be a fatal accident. The the age old rule of never point it at anything ya do not want too destroy !.....the gun not the car !
Stay safe Ya’ll !!!
The dumbest idea going is “Mexican carry” with a Glock. They are great guns for what they are, but the gotta live in a holster!!!
Keep it in a holster designed to hold it, and no problems!
That’s great Melinda.
We need more women in shooting. Your husband is lucky to have a wife who shoots.
You must be really good if you make the guys throw up in fear :-)
No..... I carry that way all the time !
Empty chamber, full magazine of course.......:)
“””IF””””.....Ya stuff one down the tube ya have to have a holster !!!
Nite !!
I can’t keep track of which ones are or are not chambered, this night or that day or whatever. So mine are all chambered all the time, and Mex carry is a thing of the past.
Not a duplicate, but a related thread here from yesterday:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1990431/posts?q=1&;page=1
/tinfoil ...
couldnt be as bad as a .357 mag in an enclosed 77 t-bird... 8^O ...ears rang for daaaaaays...lololo
Removing or reinstalling the padlock on the holster?
That's apparently required every time the cockpit door is opened in flight, such as when one of pilots needs to answer a call of nature, or get a cup of coffee or a soft drink from one of the cabin crew.Info here
The Holster, (with H&K USP-40 and required padlock)
The insane procedures required by the TSA demands that our pilots to lock and then un-lock their .40 side arms was and is a solid recipe for disaster.
...
Putting a gun into a holster and then threading a padlock through the trigger and trigger-guard is required every time the pilots enter or leave the cockpit.
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