Flight Attendant's Gun Goes Off at Philly International Airport

[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.


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[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).