Fighter jets scramble after Delta pilot locks himself in lavatory
Foreign-accented Samaritan mistaken for terrorist


http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/nov/17/fighter-jets-scramble-after-delta-pilot-locks-hims/

NEW YORK (AP) — A pilot accidentally locked himself in the bathroom aboard a flight to New York City and touched off a brief hijacking terror scare that underscored the fears about air travel that still linger more than a decade after 9/11.

The captain of Delta Flight 6132 got stuck in the lavatory Wednesday during the flight from Asheville, N.C., to La Guardia Airport.

When a passenger with an accent tried to alert the co-pilot in the cockpit, the co-pilot became alarmed and notified air traffic controllers, according to a recording of the radio exchange from the website LiveATC.net.

"The captain has disappeared in the back, and I have someone with a thick foreign accent trying to access the cockpit right now, and I've got to deal with this situation," the co-pilot said.

Indianapolis-based Chautauqua Airlines, which operates the flight for Delta, said the pilot had decided to take a bathroom break about 30 minutes from LaGuardia after controllers told the crew to expect to be in a holding pattern.

The sole flight attendant on board had entered the cockpit when the captain left because security rules require two crew members in the cockpit at all times. The Embraer 145 commuter jet was carrying 14 passengers.

The captain gave the passenger a password to get into the cockpit, but the co-pilot and flight attendant were still doubtful, the recording shows.

"Someone with a thick foreign accent is giving me a password to access the cockpit, and I'm not about to let him in," the co-pilot said.

As the minutes ticked by, a controller told the co-pilot to consider declaring an emergency, which would give the plane priority over all others.

"OK, Chautauqua, you guys ought to declare an emergency and just get on the ground," the controller said.

The captain eventually freed himself from the lavatory and came on the radio to tell controllers there was no danger.

"The captain — myself — went back to the lavatory and the door latched," he said, explaining that he "had to fight my way out of it with my body to get the door open."

"There is no issue, no threat," the captain said.

Chautauqua said the crew followed security rules correctly and that the flight was never in jeopardy. Both pilots on airliners are qualified to land the plane by themselves.

"The first officer did the right thing in securing the flight deck when he was not able to personally confirm the status of the aircraft's captain," the airline said in a written statement.

"No one was ever in danger, and everyone, including the good Samaritan who tried to help the captain, as well as the crew, are to be commended for their actions," it said.

Lock yourself in the bathroom and the government will be right there to belp you out - by shooting you down and killing all aboard. The whole planet is one big lunatic asylum. And to think just yesterday at lunch a friend was telling me I'm crazy because I wouldn't set foot on an airliner for all the tea in China.

Best,
O-2

Looks like a new reg coming down the line requiring a minimum of 2 cabin crew so there can be one on each side of the cockpit door when one in the cockpit has to leave. Could add a requirement for no accents in the seats within earshot of the lav. Not quite the humorous angle the media has portrayed, when the entire scenario is read.

"OK, Chautauqua, you guys ought to declare an emergency and just get on the ground," the controller said. ...... "quote" a previous posting.


Another airline pilot on freq. suggested that the Chautauqua flight declare an emergency and get it on the ground. Not ATC. Perhaps ATC later responded to the suggestion.

I about puked when the first media report said that "ATC ORDERED the flight to make an emergency landing." ATC doesn't order anything. They coordinate traffic. Now if one fails to comply with ATC "instructions" outside of having declared an emergency then the pilot better have a good reason. But "order a landing".... BS. The pilot is still in command.

When airline pilots were once again allowed to carry firearms, post 911....(back in the day it was not prohibited).....a few passengers protested to me about armed pilots. Do you understand? I asked. If a hijacker successfully breaches the cockpit and takes over the aircraft....the Air Force will shoot the airliner down and we are all dead! Had the pilots been armed....911 would never have occurred.

I often got blank stares.

By the way....you are far more likely to be killed by a jealous husband than die in an airliner hijacked or shot down by the Air Force.

Retirement is good.

Bob

z3skybolt wrote: Had the pilots been armed....911 would never have occurred.
Bob

Maybe. Maybe not. If the passengers had been armed, whole 'nuther story....

Best,
O-2

We have to remember how it was before 9/11. Up until then, the strategy of cooperating with hijackers had almost always worked. With only a few exceptions, cooperation on US flights had ended up with all passengers and aircraft home safe. I would bet that if armed pilots had been confronted with one of their flight attendants with a box cutter at her neck, they would have cooperated.

These days I'm not sure a pilot needs to be armed (although I don't really oppose it) because passengers are never going to let it get that far. We all know now that if a hijacker get into the cockpit we are all dead. It was foolish to have anyone but the flight attendant to talk to the pilot. I am not sure that if I was the flying pilot I would admit to ATC what was going on...I might call it "pilot incapacitation". They might just shoot you down.

The captain...

...could not talk to the FA as she/he was in the cockpit with the FO as required by regulations. Only one FA on the little regional jet. I do agree that it was a mistake to give the passenger the cockpit code.

bob

"I about puked when the first media report said that "ATC ORDERED the flight to make an emergency landing." ATC doesn't order anything. They coordinate traffic."

That is poor wording by the media, and no they didn't "order" anything here. They can declare an emergency for a pilot if they deem it necessary, even if the pilot doesn't. And I seem to remember them making thousands of aircraft land on 9-11, whether the pilots liked the idea or not. They've done it plenty of times since. A recent suspected bomb on board was another instance in NY. Call it what you want, but don't follow "orders" and under certain circumstances, you will be flying in a very tight formation with some serious hombres. The pilot is definitely in command of the aircraft and responsible for the safe outcome of the flight, but don't let that cause confusion. If you're ordered to land, you should drop the cowboy act and do it. It will save trouble down the road.

Another option for my type of flying, is not to talk to ATC

Jarhead wrote:"I about puked when the first media report said that "ATC ORDERED the flight to make an emergency landing." ATC doesn't order anything. They coordinate traffic."

That is poor wording by the media, and no they didn't "order" anything here. They can declare an emergency for a pilot if they deem it necessary, even if the pilot doesn't. And I seem to remember them making thousands of aircraft land on 9-11, whether the pilots liked the idea or not. They've done it plenty of times since. A recent suspected bomb on board was another instance in NY. Call it what you want, but don't follow "orders" and under certain circumstances, you will be flying in a very tight formation with some serious hombres. The pilot is definitely in command of the aircraft and responsible for the safe outcome of the flight, but don't let that cause confusion. If you're ordered to land, you should drop the cowboy act and do it. It will save trouble down the road.

Another option for my type of flying, is not to talk to ATC

Jarhead,

Fully understood. In a practical,everyday, sense you are correct. However.....

911 was a different animal. The nation's civil air traffic was shut down....period. Controllers were simply communicating "orders" from the Federal Government during a national emergency.

As for ATC declaring an emergency on behalf of the pilot. Well that is fine. But until data link places the aircraft into the hand of the controllers(which isn't that far off)....the captain will still decide where and when the airplane flies and whether or not to comply. When the PIC declares an emergency.....their authority and options are unlimited according to the Federal Air Regulations. ATC and everyones else's responsibility is to help make things work out in accordance with the PIC's commands. Been there...done that, Filled out the exercise of emergency authority form....no questions asked.

Cowboy act? Those cowboys are responsible for millions of lives daily including their own. Remember that the farthest that a controller can fall....is out of their chair. I think all professional pilots, experienced airmen and controllers understand how things work. Unfortuately I have watched too many pilots turn the decision making over to ATC and surrendered their authority....thus leading some pilots,the public and sometimes ATC to believe that they are in command of the flights.

As an old WW-2 captain, for whom I was flying copilot, once transmitted to an agressive air traffic controller. "Sir....am I up here because you are down there"? "Or are you down there because I am up here"? There was a bit of mumbling and then silence.........

Pilots and ATC are indespensible partners. I just get tired of the media's implication and public perception of pilots as mere robots obeying ATC "commands."

Bob(the dinosaur)

littlewheelinback wrote: They might just shoot you down.

I don't think a military pilot will shoot unless the plane is flying low headed towards a perceived target. IMO

Good day

Military Pilots do as they are told...most suitable landing airports for an airliner are near "targets". But I guess I agree that if you are talking to ATC and obeying their instructions, they probably won't shoot. Just don't have radio failure after telling them you are having an event.