Flight Attendant's Gun Goes Off at Philly International Airport

[SWA717]

Right, because a pilot has never before accidently gotten a gun through a security checkpoint like this FA did?

The only newsworthy item here is an incompetent cop who fired the FA weapon, therefore endangering lives.

You missed the point completely. It's much harder to become a pilot. What's my point? Wait until the terrorist find out they only need to get hired as a F/A in order to sneak a bomb or gun on board. It's a security hazard in the making. Mark my words.

 

[IBNAV8R]

You missed the point completely. It's much harder to become a pilot. What's my point? Wait until the terrorist find out they only need to get hired as a F/A in order to sneak a bomb or gun on board. It's a security hazard in the making. Mark my words.

I would counter that the point is not missed at all. A few fallacies involved here:

1. A pilot has NEVER attempted to carry a weapon through security.

2. F/As are NOT subject to the same 10 year background check as any other airline employee - including pilots.

3. Unlike F/As, other airline employees (ramp, MX, catering) could NEVER be complicit with any plot and/or stage a weapon inside a secure area.

4. A "mole" bent on destruction could NEVER wait out pilot training and pass a background check. Just look at the TSA winners.

5. A person not otherwise prone to malfeasance could NEVER "crack". It's never happened before (Egypt Air, Fed Ex, Jet Blue, et al.)

6. A single incident is sufficient to shut down such a program to an entire class of employees - or shut down the program to ALL employees.


Just because your panties are in a wad because F/As might have gotten a benefit won by pilots, don't act all high and mighty like pilots are above reproach - despite incidents that would indicate otherwise.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Flyer1015]

You missed the point completely. It's much harder to become a pilot. What's my point? Wait until the terrorist find out they only need to get hired as a F/A in order to sneak a bomb or gun on board. It's a security hazard in the making. Mark my words.

And what if Auburn Calloway had been a FFDO? Goes both ways. And do you realize what's keeping Florida and Arizona flight school afloat? Foreign students from Asian countries. All a terrorist really needs is a green card. And most flight schools can train even the average person to be a pilot.

 

[SWA717]

I'll put my money on on a terrorist getting hired as a F/A, than a pilot cracking. Hopefully you are not a betting man or woman.

 

[WildcatFan]

You are ALL missing the point. While you are distracted by whom and how much the government gets to fondle you just to go to work there are hundreds of ramp agents who have been on the job for less than two weeks AND nigerian wheelchair pushers who don't even know english who have access to every aircraft at the airport with little to no screening.

 

[SWA717]

You are ALL missing the point. While you are distracted by whom and how much the government gets to fondle you just to go to work there are hundreds of ramp agents who have been on the job for less than two weeks AND nigerian wheelchair pushers who don't even know english who have access to every aircraft at the airport with little to no screening.

You make a great point! +1

 

[Tripower455]

I'll put my money on on a terrorist getting hired as a F/A, than a pilot cracking. Hopefully you are not a betting man or woman.

I'm putting my money on a ground ops type....

Do I automatically win, since it's already happened? (PSA 1771)

The irony is that PSA 1771 is THE reason pilots and FAs are subject to passenger screening, and yet, ground ops types are still not screened.

Arguing about the threat posed by FAs vs. Pilots is moot as long as the back door is wide open. And it is.

 

[B727FA]

There is not a single credible reason someone can give to preventing KCM access to FA's. Anything posed is opinion and/or ego being stepped on by "the boys" who can't bear the thought of having a sense of "equality" with a lowly FA. I'm not one of those who say pilots don't deserve a well paying job and the "perks" that come with the training and experience; but in non-money(ie hourly block rates)/jumpseat access issues, we, as crew, are equals. Our security access should be the same. Our per diem, vacation accrual, ins premiums, etc should be the same.

It's not about degrading pilot status it's about raising the professional status of FA's...and I'm NOT going to get into the "professional" status of this career for FA's.

As for it "taking too long" to go through the KCM line I've never seen a long line at the check points. FA crews aren't going to clog the system.

Get over it. KCM for ALL crew is coming on 1 Oct to an airport near you.

 

[Lear70]

The irony is that PSA 1771 is THE reason pilots and FAs are subject to passenger screening, and yet, ground ops types are still not screened.

Arguing about the threat posed by FAs vs. Pilots is moot as long as the back door is wide open. And it is.

Yeah, that part still pi$$es me off.

Drives me crazy watching some guy who clearly fits the profile sail past security at a bypass door from the parking lot with a large backpack and who is only able to do so because he hasn't done anything YET to mar his background check, yet us with decades of flying experience and background checks for 20-30+ years are removing our shoes at the outstations and getting looked at funny because we brought a bottle of local rum back from Montego Bay. :/

Like I've said for years, the TSA is all for public show. As long as the bypassing of security is going on AWAY from the public eye where they can't see it and be concerned about it, it seems to be all fine and good, regardless of who's doing it.

WINNING!

 

[Tripower455]

Yeah, that part still pi$$es me off.

Drives me crazy watching some guy who clearly fits the profile sail past security at a bypass door from the parking lot with a large backpack and who is only able to do so because he hasn't done anything YET to mar his background check, yet us with decades of flying experience and background checks for 20-30+ years are removing our shoes at the outstations and getting looked at funny because we brought a bottle of local rum back from Montego Bay. :/

Like I've said for years, the TSA is all for public show. As long as the bypassing of security is going on AWAY from the public eye where they can't see it and be concerned about it, it seems to be all fine and good, regardless of who's doing it.

WINNING!

The Greatest Security Show on Earth continues........

 

[redflyer65]

Yeah, that part still pi$$es me off.

Drives me crazy watching some guy who clearly fits the profile sail past security at a bypass door from the parking lot with a large backpack and who is only able to do so because he hasn't done anything YET to mar his background check, yet us with decades of flying experience and background checks for 20-30+ years are removing our shoes at the outstations and getting looked at funny because we brought a bottle of local rum back from Montego Bay. :/

Like I've said for years, the TSA is all for public show. As long as the bypassing of security is going on AWAY from the public eye where they can't see it and be concerned about it, it seems to be all fine and good, regardless of who's doing it.

WINNING!

Great post Lear. Sad state of affairs.

I'd like to see the TSA pulled down to a small group of oversight workers....very small with rolling checks of contract screeners, like in MCI. Better service with huge savings.

 

[Flying Illini]

You missed the point completely. It's much harder to become a pilot. What's my point? Wait until the terrorist find out they only need to get hired as a F/A in order to sneak a bomb or gun on board. It's a security hazard in the making. Mark my words.

Uh, all they need to do is become a ramper and they can put whatever they want on the aircraft.

The story here is not the FA, rather the cop that deliberately fired this weapon (no way to do it accidentally unless you are completely incompetent.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[njcapt]

Uh, all they need to do is become a ramper and they can put whatever they want on the aircraft.

The story here is not the FA, rather the cop that deliberately fired this weapon (no way to do it accidentally unless you are completely incompetent.


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Seriously. It was a negligent discharge by a PHL airport cop. I hate the attitude of the PHL TSA as much as everybody who flies out of there, but this isn't their deal.

 

[LearLove]

Can't say I really blame the FA though - Bartram and Island Ave. ain't the safest place in town. Some sketchy characters in and around the employee lot. Going to work at 4am I've seen some shady activity off 95 (exit 14) back in the weeds/bushes on my way to the lot a few times.

 

[JCJ]

It's a Smith and Wesson Airweight .38.

It's double-action only, no exposed hammer, and the trigger pull is over 5 pounds, so the securing officer would HAVE to have actually either squeezed the trigger or tried to pull the gun out of the suitcase with one finger inside the trigger guard and wrapped around the trigger and it snagged on something.

And yes, I would say this will slow the entry of Flight Attendants into the KCM program.

My wife carries this. It indeed has no exposed hammer & a significant (strong) trigger pull to fire. As Lear70 notes, it had to be either an intentional decision to fire the weapon or absolutely unbelievable negligence on the part of whoever was handling the weapon (Phila. Police Officer per media reports).