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Man Posing As Pilot Reaches US Plane's Cockpit In PHL

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Man Posing As Pilot Reaches US Plane's Cockpit In PHL

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Old Mar 21, 2013, 5:08 pm
  #1  
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Man Posing As Pilot Reaches US Plane's Cockpit In PHL

Protip: when faking being an AF pilot trying to ride in the jumpseat, research the act of being a pilot better.

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/217...cked-off-plane

Weird story.
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Old Mar 21, 2013, 6:03 pm
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Epic TSA failure
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Old Mar 21, 2013, 6:08 pm
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Originally Posted by coachrowsey
Epic TSA failure
Maybe - but I'm not sure there are enough facts public yet to know for sure. I suppose he could have entered security with a normal civilian ID and flashed a fake ID later at the gate and/or have changed into the pilot(esque) clothing after through security.
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Old Mar 21, 2013, 6:12 pm
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While jumpseating is professional courtesy - if it's someone you don't know, shouldn't it be SOP to ask for credentials before letting someone even begin to make them self at home?
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Old Mar 21, 2013, 6:15 pm
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This appears to be a better fit in our Travel Safety & Security forum, so I'm sending it over there.



aztimm
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Old Mar 21, 2013, 6:35 pm
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Not convinced this is a TSA problem. From the article, it's implied that the person had a valid ticket for the flight, so it's entirely possible he presented his own ID and boarding pass at the checkpoint, and presented that boarding pass again when boarding the aircraft. And it looks like the flight crew immediately challenged the person when he sat down in the cockpit.

As bizarre as this story sounds ... it sounds like the system worked more-or-less as it should have.
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Old Mar 21, 2013, 6:50 pm
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When I think of a fake pilot entering a cockpit of a commercial airliner, this is what comes to mind...
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Old Mar 21, 2013, 8:31 pm
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One of my favorite clips from the Dirty Harry movies. There was always at least one ridiculous side scene in each movie irrelevant to the main plot, and that was the one from Magnum Force.

A few more details on the impersonation incident here: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...rticle-9036613
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Old Mar 21, 2013, 8:32 pm
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Originally Posted by jkhuggins
Not convinced this is a TSA problem. From the article, it's implied that the person had a valid ticket for the flight, so it's entirely possible he presented his own ID and boarding pass at the checkpoint, and presented that boarding pass again when boarding the aircraft. And it looks like the flight crew immediately challenged the person when he sat down in the cockpit.

As bizarre as this story sounds ... it sounds like the system worked more-or-less as it should have.
Agree. Don't see what else TSA was supposed to do; he had a boarding pass, was (presumably) screened and (again presumably) not carrying any banned item. The flight crew should have checked him out sooner but that's hardly a 'security' risk, sheeple comments notwithstanding.
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Old Mar 22, 2013, 10:30 am
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Sheesh. What a colossal non-story.

Basically a ticketed passenger with a BP who went through all the normal screenings boards the airplane along with other passengers, but then claims he's a pilot, turns left onto the flight deck, gets challenged, and is removed.

Can't believe these folks, including press, that consider this some sort of security "breach" or TSA failure. How was there any security failure by TSA?

I assume he came through screening as a regular passenger. If he bypassed screening in some fashion by claiming to be pilot, well, then maybe there's a story here, but nothing has been reported to that effect.
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Old Mar 22, 2013, 1:56 pm
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Sounds to me like the guy was trying to BS his way into a better seat on a flight he already held a legitimate ticket for. I can't fault TSA for this one; it's all on the flight crew for not verifying his pilot's credentials before allowing him access to the flight deck.

I've seen that scene a million times, and it just keeps getting funnier every single time I see it! I love the Dirty Harry films; they have some of Clint's best one-liners, like "Do ya feel lucky?" and "Make my day" and even "A man's got to know his limitations." And there's the ever popular, "Your mouthwash ain't makin' it."

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Old Mar 22, 2013, 2:09 pm
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Old Mar 22, 2013, 2:44 pm
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Wonder how TSA is going to make all of us pay for this failure.
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Old Mar 22, 2013, 3:02 pm
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Originally Posted by Global_Hi_Flyer
Wonder how TSA is going to make all of us pay for this failure.
GA was checking crew ID's against a manifest (crew schedule?) this morning in PHX. The crew didn't have the code for the door and she wouldn't let them in until she checked.
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Old Mar 22, 2013, 3:13 pm
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> Sheesh. What a colossal non-story.

+1
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