is it possible to hijack a plane after 9/11?
 

I was having this discussion with someone recently. He was arguing that it was impossible for someone to hijack a plane (successfully), particularly in the United States. The reasons:

1) Cockpit door is secure. Pilot would never open it up under duress after 9/11.

2) Increased security on the ground (har har). Wouldn't allow the weapons necessary to perform such as task.

3) The pax would never allow it. After 9/11 they'd think they're all going to die anyway, so best to die trying to subdue the hijackers than die at their hands.

Of all of these #3 makes the most sense, but that isn't a show stopper. Terrorists could theoretically unleash some kind of gas that knocks everyone out (except them because they'd have gas masks), and then somehow get control of the plane from there.

But yeah, it'd be difficult.

What do you think, impossible? Will we ever see a hijacked commercial airliner in the US again?

Some of us will certainly be around when next a hijacking of a US flight gets reported.

It's still possible, more so on smaller flights without FAMs or maybe even cargo flights under some circumstances. (Does FedEx still allow cargo flight travel privileges to employees?)

There are some other scenarios, of varying degrees of improbability, such as taking hostage family members of a member of the cockpit crew with "ransom" being that crew member letting in an on-board hijacker perhaps even before leaving the gate.

No need to. They can get cargo planes without even hijacking them. Would be a bigger surprise, no warning at all before they hit.

Cargo is a good thought.

From the terrorists' point of view, 9/11 demonstrated the drawbacks of hijacking. They could not control the timing, they were at the mercy of airline operations. They would have presumably preferred to hit both WTC towers simultaneously at maximum occupancy. But, having no control, they needed luck just to get the two hits within half an hour of each other in the early morning with perfect weather. I'm also assuming the Pentagon wasn't the preferred target, but the pilots were running out of time before getting shot down and so they were running out of options.

Not after what happened to Tom Hanks.

I think number three is the biggest. I know if some crazy got up and tried to hijack the plane I'd be one of the first people up and I'm sure there'd be another 10-20 grown men doing the same. We've seen that with the crazies that have tried to open the emergency exit door midflight. There's usually a couple guys who help the FA's subdue them.

I think #4 is the biggest. :eek:

#4 is the fighter planes that would shoot them down.

You wouldn't have to depend on #3.

In my opinion, no.

For the same reason that it wasn't even possible to hijack a plane after AA77 hit the Pentagon.

Cargo? Like, the tewwowist would lock himself in a ULD, get through loading and manifesting undetected, and somehow extricate himself at 35,000 feet? Have you ever seen how much clearance there is between an igloo and the fuselage?

Are you saying that #4 would happen even without an actual hijacking? Anyway, it wouldn't be the first time the US military shot down a civilian plane.

No. I'm thinking they would use money. How much does it cost to lease cargo planes and run a business? There wouldn't be any hijacking, or anything at all illegal, right up until the last couple minutes before they strike. To all the world, they would just look like routine flights, nothing to be alarmed about. It wouldn't be easy, but it's doable. You need enough people who are smart enough to fly planes and dumb enough to commit suicide. Fortunately, not many people meet those requirements. But I think it's easier to do it that way than by hijacking commercial planes.

Yeah - I always wondered why Iran Air 655 was a "tragic human error" but Korean 007 was the "Korean airline massacre," a "crime against humanity [that] must never be forgotten" and an "act of barbarism … [of] inhuman brutality."

Has your friend not seen Godfather II? Anything is possible. Difficult, but not impossible.

Had he lived nearly 100 years ago, would he also think that the Titanic were unsinkable?

You're assuming that terrorists aren't quietly becoming commercial pilots or flight attendants. It only takes one out the 2 or 3 of the flight crew, or a FA delivering lunch to take over. Once they're locked in the secure flight deck they're safe from the FAM too.

Chrisb.

This is a far more likely scenario than pax boarding with a bottle of explosive Dasani. The big question is, what is TSA/DHS doing to uncover and thwart such a threat?