Airline Pilots Blame TSA for US Air Cockpit Shot

Ah, the moment I was waiting for. The usual fingerpointing has ensued, approximately one week after the captain of the US Airways flight accidentally discharged his firearm in the cockpit while attempting to stow it away for landing.

The Airline Pilot Security Alliance (APSA) Thursday released a statement blaming the TSA for the accidental weapon discharge because of its weapons handling rules. The APSA pointed specifically to the TSA's requirement that pilots remove guns from their person, lock them, and carry them "off body" when off the flight deck.

The APSA further claims that another pilot involved in the federal flight deck officer (FFDO) program said the US Airways captain was preparing for landing and was trying to remove his gun and secure it when "the padlock depressed the trigger." Shoving away any personal responsibility, the ASPA feels that the rules may force some pilots to handle their guns ten times per day, which is a recipe for disaster.

So, once again, expect a federal investigation and rule changes to follow. If the ASPA gets its way, they would have the pilots involved in the FFDO program follow the same procedures as the federal air marshals, which I'm assuming allows them to carry the gun on their person all the time. Nice, so this means the FFDO pilots would look like undercover police officers dressed up as a pilots.

Maybe we should just give tasers to all pilots, spend less money on firearms training, and allow the FFDO program to go on without guns in the cockpits. Then we can have great Youtube videos of unruly passengers saying "don't tase me bro..."

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