A low tech, low cost, [i]effective[/i] anti hijacking measure.

[Fubaar]

It goes without saying that the events of 11 Sep have changed forever the dynamics of the ‘classic’ hijacking scenario. Most airlines will have to seriously reconsider their procedures for dealing with a hijacking - and I sincerely hope I won’t be reading about any such changes here.

I’ve read some of the many suggestions over the last week to make flying ‘safe’ again with disbelief bordering on dismay. (Not giving the pilot any override capability in a ‘fully automated’ aircraft to make it ‘safer’? !!!!)

It seems to me we’re missing the most obvious measure that will fix the problem in many cases. Picture the scene the next time a hijacker or hijackers attempt to take over an airliner. 300 self-appointed ‘sky marshals’ will take matters into their own hands without prompting. (Unfortunately, given the nervous state of many passengers at the moment, I can see this happening on more than one occasion because of some misunderstanding, possibly with tragic results.)

I’m not trying to be flippant here, but there could be an ‘up’ side to this. After the first two or three lager louts are dealt with, possibly terminally, by their fellow passengers, there might be a steep decrease in so-called ‘air rage’.

[stagger]

I've commented on this in another thread where it was suggest that passengers will now be more likely to be prepared to take risks to overcome hijackers.
http://www.pprune.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=41&t=002209&p=2

Perhaps, but when people are placed in groups there is a tremendous amount of behavioural inertia created. Individuals find it very difficult to take action that makes them stand out from the crowd. Experiments by social psychologists have demonstrated this time and time again. For example, a classic experiment involved subjects sitting in a room with half a dozen other people who, unknown to the subject, were collaborating with the experimenter. Smoke was introduced into the room under a door but the subjects rarely said anything about this or did anything as long as the others all sat there ignoring it.

So sure, once someone tackles a hijacker others will join in but who is going to be the first to make a move?

I have a suggestion based on another phenomenon identified by social psychologists, namely the human tendency to display obedience to authority figures. Airline pilots command a lot of respect among the general public and people will tend to do what they tell them. Having decided that attacking the hijackers offers the only hope of getting out of the situation alive the crew may thus be able to get the ball rolling. Passengers will generally be extremely reluctant to take the initiative but if you tell them to attack the hijackers in order to save the aircraft some will almost certainly follow your instruction and then others will undoubtedly join in the attack.