There are rumors floating around certain circles that TSA didn't learn their lesson regarding pitot tubes not being an appropriate substitute for a ladder at ORD in 2008.

Apparently at DFW, a total of ten American Eagle ATR's were recently removed from service due to damage to the pitot tubes. After an investigation, it was learned that a group of TSA agents thought they would try to test American Eagle's security protocols by trying to gain entry to the planes by climbing through the cockpit windows. The pitot tubes were used for hand and foot bars, thus damaging said tubes. Ultimately, upwards of ten TSA agents were fired for participation in these activities.

Amazing, if this is true. Who needs terrorists, when planes are knocked out of action by our own "crack" security force?

With a couple of pilots I know, getting fired would be the least of their troubles.

I wish I could say "unbelievable!" but unfortunately, this is the TSA, above the law they believe, so nothing they do can be "unbelievable."

Facts? Source for this? Anyone? Or just "rumors floating around certain circles"?

Well, Halls120 does run with the big dogs and if he says something it is usually pretty accurate.

Those pitot tubes just damage themselves, when any TSA inspector looks at them. A design flaw, I suspect.

The facts are that this has happened before. Honestly we have reached the point where anything within reason needs to be disproved by the TSA as opposed to vice versa out of efficiency. There have been so many things that are just to absurd to be true...that turn out to be true...for it to be any other way.

I'm one of them.

TSA staff do not believe that they are "above the law." Rather, they believe that they are the law. There's a difference!

Bruce

OK let me start by saying I'm not defending someone using pitot tubes or static probes for handles or steps (by the way, the probes under the windows appear to be static probes, the pitot tubes are located just behind the radome on the ATR). But there is another possibility at work here. Since there have been several airworthiness directives aimed at pitot tubes recently, could that have been why 10 ATR's were taken out of service? Or part of a required inspection? Also, I don't believe the cockpit windows of an ATR42-72 are able to be opened in the first place. Here are 2 different pictures of an ATR flight deck showing all the cockpit windows.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Binte...e2f67b65502760

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Linea...e2f67b65502760

And a TSA aviation security inspector in Chicago was doing a "stress test" service bulletin of the temperature probe of 13 American Eagle SAAB 340s?

An employee who cannot be identified, out of fear for his/her job. I clearly identified it as an unsubstantiated rumor, so you can calm down now.

But the way you titled the thread implies fact.

adressing your points
-then there would likely be more than 10, and I doubt they would all be in the same location
-I agree, although I am wondering if this might also relate to what I believe is the AOA probe under the captains window.
-are any of those related to the ATR series aircraft? I can find directives related to windows, fuel, and chafed wiring on the aircraft from the last year, but nothing on Pitot Tubes
-i don't think TSA trains on which pilot windows do and do not open

If you are only reading the title of threads without the substance of the posts, that's your problem, not mine.

I clearly stated that what I was posting was a rumor. If someone can post something to rebut the rumor, I'll gladly confess my sin and ask the post be removed.