If the Captain goes down with their Ship...

....Then an Airplane Pilot CANNOT give up Control of their Airplane.

Should another HIJACKING happen, the Pilot must be protected at all costs, since the pilot may be the only one who can safely land the plane.

Most HIJACKERS up until the recent tragedy, want to be taken somewhere other than where the plane was headed....I am concerned that in the future, passengers will automatically assume any future HIJACKING is meant to take control of the plane for purposes of crashing it into something.

It is of the utmost importance that the Passengers not confuse their own role in the event of a HIJACKING.

The HIJACKERS AGENDA must be understood before passengers attempt any kind of action.

If the HIJACKER doesn't enter the cockpit, then there is no need for a passenger or for passengers to try something stupid like open the emergency doors to try and somehow crash the plane.

As long as the Airline Pilot stays in the Cockpit, and the Hijackers aren't in the Cockpit, there probably is no need to fear that the plane is going to be crashed into a building.

A HIJACKER can hold a passenger hostage if they truly want to HIJACK a plane....they don't ever have to be in the cockpit....PERIOD!

As long as the certified pilot remains in charge, AND NO HIJACKER IS IN THE COCKPIT, then we don't need passengers trying to be heroes.

So, the key is this, under no circumstance is someone who has tried to HIJACK a Plane ever allowed to REMAIN in the cockpit. Even if a HIJACKER should somehow gain access to the cockpit, ONLY IF THE HIJACKER DOES NOT RETREAT FROM THE COCKPIT should passengers consider removing the HIJACKER from the cockpit as an option.

Once the HIJACKER has entered the cockpit area, and chooses to stay there, than the passengers and the plane may consider the possibility that the plane they are in may be doomed to crash unless they take action.

In my opinion, a HIJACKER IN THE COCKPIT is the only time that passengers should ever attempt to take back a plane from a HIJACKER.

If a HIJACKER grabs a passenger and threatens to kill the passenger unless they are given control of the plane...Cockpit Control can never be given....

....Because that would violate the rule of NO HIJACKERS ALLOWED IN THE COCKPIT.

Perhaps along with the "Seat can be used as a Flotation Device" speech that is given at the beginning of every flight, Airline personnel need to include a short speech about the "sanctity of the cockpit".

I'm worried about a misguided traveler not understanding PASSENGER ETIQUETTE.

PASSENGER ETIQUETTE simply means as long as the HIJACKER has not taken control of the cockpit, the plane has a decent chance to land safely, and the passengers must remain calm and controlled.

I'm worried that during a future HIJACKING, a confused traveler could somehow try and create a disturbance to crash the plane as some kind of misguided heroic act.

If the certified pilot is still in control of the plane, a HIJACKING does not mean the passengers need to try and crash the plane on their own.

I think our government needs to review Airplane Policy concerning HIJACKING as it relates to the Passenger on National Television...and the sooner the better.

A message from the President of the United States about passenger conduct during a HIJACKING will give some power back to the American Citizens by DEFINING our role in the event of a HIJACKING.




[This message has been edited by Alex (edited September 22, 2001).]