By teggy
The tragic events of 911 triggered a long list of do’s and don’ts. In the race to secure the skies, a law was passed that would allow the airline pilots to carry firearms as a last resort against any breach of the cockpit. While that sounds great; however, it has its flaws. First and most obvious being that a pilot should be concerned with flying, not serving as an Air Marshal in the cockpit surrounded by sophistication of instruments, which if damaged could jeopardize the lives of many aboard the craft.
Well folks, that’s precisely the kind of situation that occurred on a U.S. Airways flight from Denver to Charlotte.
The fortunate thing is, neither the aircraft nor any of the occupants were injured. The gun went off while the aircraft was on approach to land in North Carolina over the weekend. How the gun was triggered is being investigated.
While at it, lets hope they also investigate and look into the dangers of a weapon in the cockpit. Not to mention allowing an otherwise citizen to operate it in need of emergencies.
I’m all for safety, but that is why we have Air Marshals onboard. Handing guns to pilots is a bit extreme. Have we forgotten the incidents of drunk pilots? Would you add to that a firearm and a panicky situation? TSA was never in the favor of such a law to begin with, it was implemented on the insistance of Congress. Not such a good idea!
Firearms should stay in the hands of professionals who are licensed professional and properly trained on how to use them in any kind of situation. You cannot have an Air Marshal/Pilot. It’s just too dangerous in my opinion.