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CNN Live At Daybreak
Pilots Being Told to Keep Cockpit Door Closed in Hijacking
Aired July 31, 2003 - 05:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Commercial airline pilots are being told to keep their cockpit door closed in the event of a hijacking. As you may remember, the doors have been reinforced and strengthened so they should be able to keep most people out.
CNN's Patty Davis has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN HICKEY, FAA: This is a deadbolt.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the door the FAA is counting on to prevent another terrorist hijacking.
HICKEY: It's intended to prevent unwanted intrusion in the door and some level of ballistic protection, small arms, grenade, etc.
DAVIS: Strengthened cockpit doors, this one with steel, some with titanium, are on all commercial jets, ordered put in place after the September 11 terror attacks. Behind those doors, pilots have new orders -- never open the door if there's a crisis, even if hijackers are threatening to kill.
DUANE WOERTH, AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION: Drama in the back of the airplane, they know what that means. That means the only way to save everyone, secure the door, get down as fast as you can. No other questions are asked. We're going to save the airplane.
DAVIS: Most experts say security is much improved on board commercial jets, but that holes still exist. Some worry hijackers could rush the cockpit as pilots come out to use the restroom.
MICHAEL BOYD, AVIATION CONSULTANT: Those doors do open and close during flight and you can't get around that. And as a result of that, could someone get in there? Yes, very possibly.
DAVIS: Flight attendants are now trained to protect the cockpit with their carts when the pilot leaves. But they complain they still haven't been given enough training to protect themselves and passengers. Still, the Transportation Security Administration insists layers of security, including armed pilots, air marshals and thousands of federal screeners, have cut the risk.
ROBERT JOHNSON, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: We wake up every day to an intelligence briefing that tells us the threat today is as real as it was on 9/11. We are monitoring that information, determining what's credible and responding in an appropriate fashion.
DAVIS: (on camera) As for the latest warning terrorists may be planning more hijackings, the government has alerted airlines and airports, but the TSA admits its efforts are simply a filter, not a guarantee.
Patty Davis, CNN, Reagan National Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Hijacking>
Aired July 31, 2003 - 05:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Commercial airline pilots are being told to keep their cockpit door closed in the event of a hijacking. As you may remember, the doors have been reinforced and strengthened so they should be able to keep most people out.
CNN's Patty Davis has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN HICKEY, FAA: This is a deadbolt.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the door the FAA is counting on to prevent another terrorist hijacking.
HICKEY: It's intended to prevent unwanted intrusion in the door and some level of ballistic protection, small arms, grenade, etc.
DAVIS: Strengthened cockpit doors, this one with steel, some with titanium, are on all commercial jets, ordered put in place after the September 11 terror attacks. Behind those doors, pilots have new orders -- never open the door if there's a crisis, even if hijackers are threatening to kill.
DUANE WOERTH, AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION: Drama in the back of the airplane, they know what that means. That means the only way to save everyone, secure the door, get down as fast as you can. No other questions are asked. We're going to save the airplane.
DAVIS: Most experts say security is much improved on board commercial jets, but that holes still exist. Some worry hijackers could rush the cockpit as pilots come out to use the restroom.
MICHAEL BOYD, AVIATION CONSULTANT: Those doors do open and close during flight and you can't get around that. And as a result of that, could someone get in there? Yes, very possibly.
DAVIS: Flight attendants are now trained to protect the cockpit with their carts when the pilot leaves. But they complain they still haven't been given enough training to protect themselves and passengers. Still, the Transportation Security Administration insists layers of security, including armed pilots, air marshals and thousands of federal screeners, have cut the risk.
ROBERT JOHNSON, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: We wake up every day to an intelligence briefing that tells us the threat today is as real as it was on 9/11. We are monitoring that information, determining what's credible and responding in an appropriate fashion.
DAVIS: (on camera) As for the latest warning terrorists may be planning more hijackings, the government has alerted airlines and airports, but the TSA admits its efforts are simply a filter, not a guarantee.
Patty Davis, CNN, Reagan National Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Hijacking>
