From: hal@finney.org
Date: Thu Sep 13 2001 - 13:11:12 MDT
Rafal writes:
> ### I think that this particular way of attacking can be easily thwarted
> by installing a double steel door to the cockpit in all large airplanes -
> anybody trying to enter would need to go through and close one door, look
> up to the camera, be recognized by the pilots as the flight attendant
> bringing refreshments, and have the inner door opened from the cockpit. As
> long as pilots under no circumstances deviate from the policy and never
> yield to terrorists killing the people in the main cabin, there would be
> absolutely no way to gain control of the airplane. No high tech and no
> mounds of money needed.
According to the aviation expert on ABC News, they can't strengthen
the door too much between the cockpit and the cabin because of concerns
about depressurization. In the event of a loss of pressure accident,
it is imperative that pressures be quickly equalized between cockpit and
cabin, otherwise something horrible will happen. He didn't say what,
but I gather that the plane would fall apart. As a result, the doors
presently have specially weakened panels which blow out if there is a
pressure difference. According to this expert, "you can't put a bank
vault door up there."
Hal
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