[dashing doofus]

H&K .40 — I assume a USP, which has a manual safety/decocker and a heavy first trigger pull in DA.

How the hell do you have an AD with that? I immediately thought Glock when I read the story....

[CholeraJoe]

I thought Glock, too. I used to own a Glock but I had to sell it because it kept crawling out the front door and firing rounds off at random.

[Cyman]

I would say he was playing with it to impress one of the stewardesses but then the image of the typical flight attendant came to mind.

It was probably the result of a deep philosophical question: If a gun goes off at 36,00 feet, does anyone hear it?

[struwwelpeter]

I’m assuming he notified Range Control about the negligent discharge and that his platoon sergeant took appropriate action with regards to remedial PT and an eardrum stress test.

[Travis McGee]

For sure was this pistol an H&K?

I think they are supposed to use a holster with a hole for a padlock. The padlock passes throught the trigger guard, BEHIND the trigger. You can’t push the pistol in any further, so the lock should not touch the trigger. You can’t pull the pistol out, the lock is in front of the grip.

BUT (just supposing here) what if you goofed up, and slid the lock through the holster, with the pistol NOT all the way forward? Then, the lock would be in FRONT of the trigger.

And if you then went and pushed the pistol the rest of the way in......would that give enough trigger travel to cause a discharge?

[bruin66]

My H&K 40SW has a very light and consistent trigger pull. My Ruger P345, however...

[El Gato]

How the hell do you have an AD with that?

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.