"Security" damage 14 aircraft

[PaperTiger]

(Caveat: as yet unconfirmed)

Post on another board alleges TSA inspectors(sic) used pitot tubes to pull themselves up trying to break into some RJs at O'Hare.

Uningbelievable, if true.

[Airbubba]

I have no idea if this AE report is real but TSA 'tiger teams' have been on the ramp in recent months trying to gain access to the flight deck of parked aircraft. One of our captains out West had a guy hauled off by the county police. He had TSA ID but the captain said he had no business on the plane without written authorization. Don't know where it went after that, the TSA can and will put you on a no fly list if someone files a complaint about you. Here's a story in today's news about a pilot on the list:

Airline captain, lawyer, child on terror 'watch list' - CNN.com

Update:

Sadly, it looks like this one is for real...

TSA Snafu Damages Nine Planes at O'Hare Field
Pilots Furious with Misstep
By JOSEPH RHEE, BRIAN ROSS, and ERIC LONGABARDI
August 19, 2008—


Nine American Eagle airplanes were grounded Tuesday after a TSA inspector, conducting an overnight security check, used sensitive instrument probes to climb onto the parked aircraft at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, aviation sources tell ABCNews.com.

A TSA official confirmed the incident.

At least forty regional commuter flights were delayed throughout the day, according to American Airlines. "We think it's an unfortunate situation," American airlines spokesperson Mary Frances told ABCNews.com.

The TSA agent, as part of spot inspection of aircraft security, climbed onto the parked aircraft using control sensors mounted on the fuselage as handholds, according to a TSA official in Chicago, Elio Montenegro.

"Our inspector was following routine procedure for securing the aircraft that were on the tarmac," Montenegro told ABCNews.com.

The TSA agent was attempting to determine if someone could break into a parked aircraft, according to Montenegro.

Pilots were furious at the TSA misstep.

"The brilliant employees used an instrument located just below the cockpit window that is critical to the operation of the onboard computers," one pilot wrote on an American Eagle internet forum. "They decided this instrument, the TAT probe, would be adequate to use as a ladder," the pilot wrote.

Another pilot wrote the TSA agents, "are now doing things to our aircraft that may put our lives, and the lives of our passengers at risk."

The TSA has been conducting such overnight spot checks at airports around the country.

Another airline, Mesa Air Group, told its employees earlier this month that "48 percent of all TSA investigations involving Mesa Air Group involve a failure to maintain area/aircraft security."

Mesa said it was imposing a "zero-tolerance" policy for such violations, threatening employees with dismissal.

ABC News: TSA Snafu Damages Nine Planes at O'Hare Field

[Pontious]

Surely,if true & proven, then the TSA 'Tiger Teams' are guilty of either 'tampering with an aircraft's systems' , 'endangering the safety of passengers & crew through actual sabotage of an aircraft' , 'unlawful or unauthorized entry of an aircraft', & that's just for starters.

Their intentions are surely honourable & I don't accept there was ever any malicious intent but this HAS to be investigated further.

There's no need for a 'bun fight' but I can imagine there'll be a few exchanges between the TSA & FAA/NTSB along with a fair bit of 're-education'.

Imagine the irony. Flight Safety being endangered by the very people set up to enhance it.

[Huck]

Too bad the probe heat wasn't on.

[con-pilot]

This incident does not surprise me in the slightest. In fact the only surprising thing is that it has taken so long for aircraft to be damaged by these idiot TSA 'badge carriers'.

I have seen this type of attitude happen all to often when I was with a Federal Law Enforcement agency. They give a person a badge, and then even worse a gun, and they become an instant expert on everything.

If they ever do arm TSA agents out on the ramp checking aircraft you need to start including bullet holes in your exterior preflight check list. If you think I'm kidding, I'm not. I am the voice of experience.

[greuzi]

Given the job these people do surely they know pointy end from blunt?

[AnthonyGA]

The kind of job they do is unfortunately filled by people from the lowest end of the curve in many cases. Positions like this attract control freaks, not competent technicians.

[Flintstone]

So the TSA state that their employees were conducting standard/routine checks. If that is so how many times has this happened before and what damage occurred that might not have come to light until later? Heads should roll.

Originally Posted by Earl

The ones that are there to protect us are our own worse enemy.
Send them back to there previous jobs, the fast food chain, service has really went down hill since they left.
At least they could speak English when asking would I like cheese on my whopper..

Irony overload

[617SquadronDB]

Unbelievable.

[ACMS]

It's happened before:
In the 70's at an airforce base in Butterworth Malaysia an RAAF Security guard decided to do some chin-ups using the pointy nose Pitot tube on a Mirage 111 fighter.( the RAAF had a big base in Butterworth ) He noticed that he'd bent the tube a bit, so as there were 10 Mirages parked in a neat line he decided to bend the other 9 to make them look the same.

[RadAlt]

By grounding these aircraft they're actually making the skies safer. Fewer flights means fewer changes anything can happen to 'homeland security'!
So it's a 'job well done' by TSA!

[fantom]

TSA = Thousands Standing Around.

[angels]

Viewed from afar this just beggars belief!

Will American Eagle get compensation for lost revenue, disruption to schedules, crewing etc that all this entails?

[WHBM]

If an airline ramp employee did such damage they would be fired. Of course. Will this happen to the perpetrator ?

[Bus429]

What is it with security staff that attracts numbskulls and no-hopers? Unfortunately (and I relate to UK experiences), if you challenge or question their actions or motives, you are deemed a threat and treated accordingly. Power mad w@****s.

[Two's in]

Just the 9 planes AOG then...breathtaking ignorance.

More details here;

ABC News: TSA Snafu Damages Nine Planes at O'Hare Field

Nine American Eagle airplanes were grounded Tuesday after a TSA inspector, conducting an overnight security check, used sensitive instrument probes to climb onto the parked aircraft at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, aviation sources tell ABCNews.com.

A TSA official confirmed the incident.

At least forty regional commuter flights were delayed throughout the day, according to American Airlines. "We think it's an unfortunate situation," American airlines spokesperson Mary Frances told ABCNews.com.

The TSA agent, as part of spot inspection of aircraft security, climbed onto the parked aircraft using control sensors mounted on the fuselage as handholds, according to a TSA official in Chicago, Elio Montenegro.

"Our inspector was following routine procedure for securing the aircraft that were on the tarmac," Montenegro told ABCNews.com.

The TSA agent was attempting to determine if someone could break into a parked aircraft, according to Montenegro.

[SOPS]

Thats it..we have the proof....the lunatics are finally running the asylum!!!

[Re-Heat]

Surely it would be a requirement of anyone working in any ramp area, be they security, handling etc to attend a full training session before being allowed near the ramp?

Thought not.

[merlinxx]

The US Govt is liable, they are Govt employees, just let the insurers attorneys get their hands on this, letting feckin goat herders loose in this sort environment is stupidy itself!

[west lakes]

What were these guys trying to prove...that the cockpit windows aren't secure enough for a someone trying to break in

More likely that the crew had failed to secure them, so they could
1/ get the crew into trouble &
2/ justify their own existance