FAA Won’t Investigate Why Pilot’s Gun Fired In-Flight

Investigation Reveals Less Than 1% of Flights Have Air Marshal

Red Light, Green Light on Runways

Brits to Chatter on Mobile Phones In-Flight

FAA WON’T INVESTIGATE WHY PILOT’S GUN FIRED IN-FLIGHT – Associated Press
Did the US Airways pilot’s gun misfire, or did he mishandle it when it fired in flight, blasting a hole in the cockpit wall? Although airline officials said the accidental misfire did not endanger the 124 passengers and five crew members, safety experts reported the hole could have caused the aircraft quickly to depressurize, had the hole occurred in a window at a higher altitude. Any official eligible to carry a gun in a cockpit carry a .40-caliber semiautomatic H&K USP.

According to Greg Alter of the Federal Air Marshal Service, “This is an extremely safe and reliable weapon. It’s not going to discharge on its own, [which] is the bottom line.” The firearm discharged on Flight 1536 from Denver to Charlotte on Saturday. Fu-Kuo Chang, a professor of aeronautical engineering at Stanford University, said, “If not repaired, [the hole] may cause a problem. It could get bigger. For a single bullet, it would not be a factor for the safety of the airplane. If it hit the window, it may be a problem for depressurization. I still don’t think it would cause a crash.” The aircraft will be grounded at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport for repairs, and the Federal Aviation Administration won’t be investigating why the gun went off—it only will ensure the safety of the plane before it returns to service.

Link: Associated Press

NO AIR MARSHAL ON YOUR FLIGHT? QUITE POSSIBLY - CNN
Nearly all flights in the United States take off, sans air marshals. Out of 28,000 commercial airline flights on an average day, less than one percent of planes are protected by armed federal air marshals, according to a nationwide CNN investigation. When CNN interviewed over a dozen trained air marshals and pilots, it discovered that as few as 280 flights a day will have an on-board air marshal. The Transportation Security Administration has denied CNN’s reports. Department of Homeland Security officials did not specify numbers, but says they are being met. Greg Alter, assistant special agent in charge of the federal air marshal program, said the number 280 “grossly understates coverage by an order of magnitude,” and he vaguely stated that the number is in the “four digits.” In an alarming statement, one pilot, who “crisscrosses the country and flies internationally,” confessed to CNN that he has not seen an air marshal on board one of his flights in six months.

Link: CNN

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT ON RUNWAYS – The New York Times

Travelers won’t spot traffic signals only on streets anymore. The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that it will add a version of traffic signals at 20 busy airports during the next three and a half years. A computer will run the system and determine which runway is occupied, and it will ignite a series of red lights embedded in pavement at each intersection. The addition of lights will help pilots and controllers from making mistakes. Two near-collisions at airports in New York could have been prevented by this new system. The agency announced that it will offer $5 million to share the costs for developing a system that would prevent runway collisions.

Link: The New York Times

BRITS TO CHATTER ON MOBILE PHONES DURING FLIGHTS – Daily Mail

Now in-flight Brit passengers can recline, relax and listen to their neighbor’s obnoxious cell phone twitter about who’s canoodling with whom. Ofcom, the communications regulator, said planes now are in place to allow passengers on UK-registered aircraft to talk on their personal cell phones during their flights. This new system will allow passengers’ cell phones to connect to an on-board base station, but cell phones must be turned off during takeoffs and landings. When the aircraft reaches 9,840 feet, the cabin crew will switch on the system. According to Ofcom, the new arrangement will need to meet the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority’s approval.

Link: Daily Mail

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