Flight 2318, ORDo DCA, leaves an hour late on Thursday 2/17, no big deal.Pilot announces special DCA rules of seat belt lights on no john trips last 30 minutes, no big deal. Pilot announces 30 minuteds to land. 40 minutes later he says we are landing at IAD due to a "procedural problem." After we land police cars pull up. I am in first and hear the captain saying something about getting to ORD late and not having the right passwoord. At one point he shouted his date of birth into the phone. He anounced that: "Due to security" there are certain things that are required and something was amiss, "That is all I can say." Wierdly we DID NOT HAVE enough fuel to get to DCA and spent another hour re-fueling. We then flew from IAD to DCA. Bet that is the shortest AA "segment" anyone has ever flown. What do you gurus thing actually happened to make us land at IAD?

There is a password that changes at least everyday for flights into DCA. If the pilot mis-states it or doesn't know it, he's basically toast. As I understand it there are no second chances. You get it right the first time or you go to the penalty box (IAD) or worse ......

Used to happen more often, but now less so since folks have had plenty of time to get used to it.

The pilots get a code word or password on their flight releases that allow for landing at DCA. If they forget it, lose it, or say it wrong, it's off to IAD for a second try.

What an unbelievably stupid procedure.

If it changes once a day, it is indeed idiotic as anyone with a scanner can pick up the password for the day.

If it is different for each flight, and you assume the flight plan distribution network is secure (which I can't imagine it is, but...), then it does ensure that only the person receiving the flight plan, or someone who the person receiving the flight plan told the password to, will land that aircraft at DCA. That might make a little more sense.

Didn't some folks do a DAL-DFW "segment" a short time ago? That one must be HALF the length of the long-haul IAD-DCA leg.

Ummm.....maybe I missed something. But, what does the password really do other than create more havoc than safety? I mean, honestly, we are talking about a plane, not a bloody train. If the wrong person is in the cockpit he/she doesn't need no stinking password to continue to their target. Not like they are on a track or something. This is more idiotic than the "stay in your designated cabin" rules. Who is the @:-) who came up with this one?

I think what your forgetting, is that if someone doesn't have the password and doesn't divert to IAD, they can easily be shot down. Whether this would actually be done to a 737 full of poeple becuase of a missing password is another story, but the pilots diverting is more of an idication of who is flying.

You have not heard of the standing orders for USAF to shoot down any passenger plane that is suspicious in anyway? I suspect that if the pilot did not provide the password and yet continued on then maybe that would be seen as a possible "problem" that needs to be dealt with.
I hope I'm not on that plane.

This would be an interesting marketing campaign for UA... "Fly to IAD, where you're less likely to get shot down!"

What has our country come to...

That's not the point. If the person in the cockpit doesn't have the password, yet continues on toward DCA, the government has more time to scramble fighter jets. Obviously a non-terrorist pilot is not going to go against FAA orders and land at DCA. Just the same as a terrorist isn't going to say, "oops, you're right, I have the wrong password... alright I have my blinker on and I'm heading towards IAD."

Unless you know exactly how this procedure works, I think it's a bit presumptuous to deem it 'stupid'.

security procedures are one thing, but a pilot not making sure that he/she can comply with the procedure is another. Did AA offer compensation for your troubles?

Also, why didn't they just get you off the plane at IAD and offer cab fare/bus service to DCA?

did anyone contact the media?

Most likely because the plane still had to get to DCA so why pay extra to bus the passengers?

Before Congress changed the DCA perimeter rule, AA flew DFW-IAD-DCA every day. I don't recall that AA ever flew DAL-DFW as scheduled service.