Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Flight Deck Forums > Rumours & News
Reload this Page >

Intruder arrested in the cockpit of a BA 747 at LHR!

Wikiposts
Search
Rumours & News Reporting Points that may affect our jobs or lives as professional pilots. Also, items that may be of interest to professional pilots.

Intruder arrested in the cockpit of a BA 747 at LHR!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 6th Mar 2016, 19:55
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Intruder arrested in the cockpit of a BA 747 at LHR!

Intruder arrested at Heathrow after major security breach sees him break through security fence and lock himself in the cockpit of parked 747 | Daily Mail Online
Phoenix1969 is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2016, 22:36
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: world
Posts: 3,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
MailonLine slow news day alert!
Hotel Tango is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 00:21
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: FUBAR
Posts: 3,348
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
" A source said that it was impossible for security staff to get to him because the bomb and bullet proof cockpit doors are designed to protect the pilot and co-pilot should a terrorist try to take over the plane in mid-flight."

Disconnect the Ground Power ? APU external fire handle ? (737 has one, don't know about a 747 ) or am I (or more likely the Daily Mail ) missing sumfin ?
captplaystation is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 07:53
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: France
Age: 69
Posts: 1,142
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Just use a cherry picker to get high enough to open the escape hatch in the cockpit roof.
eckhard is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 10:08
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Australia
Age: 64
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Crew meal under the door ? Always had the desired effect on me!
xfsd is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 12:43
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: surfing, watching for sharks
Posts: 4,077
Received 53 Likes on 33 Posts
Originally Posted by xfsd
Crew meal under the door ? Always had the desired effect on me!
That's funny right there, I don't care who you are.
West Coast is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 13:49
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: FUBAR
Posts: 3,348
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If this "intruder" had enough awareness/knowlege of the security devices to lock himself in (would have to flick the arming switch down & yes qld330 operate the deadbolt ) it makes you wonder what he was up to indeed. Easy enough access on a 737 (FO DV ) but a 747 would need a slightly more purpose built set up,being that high up.
captplaystation is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 15:06
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Age: 79
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why bother, he will run out of food and water soon enough.
The Ancient Geek is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 15:41
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Rockytop, Tennessee, USA
Posts: 5,898
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by xfsd
Crew meal under the door ? Always had the desired effect on me!
Yep, they feed you pancakes and flounder because that's all that will fit under the door.

A colleague at a western U.S. airport found a stranger with no visible ID waiting for him in the cockpit when he arrived first on the aircraft to do a morning preflight for departure a few years ago.

Apparently the visitor was a member of one of the Homeland Security 'tiger teams'. These folks had ID to get onto the ramp and then would see if they could somehow get into the plane unchallenged. Unfortunately, they weren't very knowledgeable about aircraft and in some cases did things like use an AOA probe as a step to get into the overhead hatch of an RJ.

My coworker told the intruder to wait and he got off the plane, had the jetway pulled away and called the airport police to report a possible attempted hijacking. The cops brought the resident U.S. Marshal and the Homeland Security guy was hauled off in the back seat of a police car for 'questioning'.

I operated through the station a couple of days later. The on duty manager said the Homeland Security guy was still mad and wanted to go after the captain but was told that his 'test' showed the flight crew was proactive in a security situation. After this and other incidents I believe the tiger team approach was toned down.
Airbubba is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 15:45
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: surfing, watching for sharks
Posts: 4,077
Received 53 Likes on 33 Posts
I recall then American Eagle had to down a few aircraft for inspection after the probes were used as a ladder.
West Coast is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 15:56
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Wor Yerm
Age: 68
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Too many bits missing...

Firstly, I am not really surprised that someone has made it onto an aircraft. Miles of unguarded fence is not exactly the most difficult barrier. But quite why it should trigger a 'security alert' is beyond me. They should have been alert beforehand to stop these things from happening in the first place. The LHR Stasi should have been as pro-active with guarding this fence as they are with hassling and being unpleasant to innocent members of the public. But there again, maybe he was wearing camouflage? He would have been virtually invisible if he wore a grubby HiViZ jacket (only management muppets and other scum, like visiting politicians, wear new ones).

Then there is the matter of extraction. I can only presume the fire brigade used cutting equipment to get him out ("a long and very protracted operation to get into the cockpit from outside"). So what damage was caused and was much broken when the cockpit was "stormed" by plod? You can not help but wonder if it might have been cheaper to kill the power, black out the windows and wait or there again maybe someone could have talked the guy out? This would have been good practice for a negotiator. Or he could have been tortured out by showing him videos of Donald Trump speeches or playing rap music.

But at least this incident has not shocked me. Again, our ridiculous security provisions have proved ineffective, Plod and the authorities can still be counted on to over-react in an (in)appropriate fashion and the Daily Wail can (miss)report on a non-story.

My Britain!

PM
Piltdown Man is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 16:08
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: The Winchester
Posts: 6,553
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
The LHR Stasi should have been as pro-active with guarding this fence as they are with hassling and being unpleasant to innocent members of the public.
Judging by the reports the fence involved was at east base, not on the airport proper..

I can only presume the fire brigade used cutting equipment to get him out
I rather suspect your assumption is incorrect. There have been few hints in previous posts as to how access could have been obtained without cutting anything.
wiggy is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 19:11
  #13 (permalink)  
Resident insomniac
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: N54 58 34 W02 01 21
Age: 79
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
'Eventuallly they managed to gain access to the cockpit and police were able to storm in and arrested the intruder,'
I have this image of several PCs fighting to enter the cockpit simultaneously . . .

Why would they need to 'storm in'? the guy wasn't likely to escape, was he?

I hope the police were suitably armed - it wouldn't look good if the guy had a gun . . .

if he had been a terrorist with the ability to handle the controls of a 747. Although it was away from the main runway, the plane could have caused a major incident and even worse, if it had taxied and taken off.
Now that is silly!
G-CPTN is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2016, 19:26
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: wales
Age: 81
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
DM
carried out a long and very protracted operation to get into the cockpit from outside
that alone sets the standard of the article.
oldoberon is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2016, 05:32
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why would they need to 'storm in'? the guy wasn't likely to escape, was he?
He could have jumped out of the (previously mentioned) top hatch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y5lNVbBeiU
NSEU is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2016, 22:53
  #16 (permalink)  
Resident insomniac
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: N54 58 34 W02 01 21
Age: 79
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
No court report yet?
G-CPTN is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2016, 23:20
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Age: 70
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Seems he's gone missing after been posted bail! Police looking for him, concerned about his mental condition.
ex-EGLL is offline  
Old 9th Mar 2016, 00:50
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Canada
Posts: 603
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Hotel Tango
MailonLine slow news day alert!
but if he got into the cockpit, what if instead he had placed an explosive device on the aircraft?
Longtimer is offline  
Old 9th Mar 2016, 03:24
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Wiggy
I rather suspect your assumption is incorrect. There have been few hints in previous posts as to how access could have been obtained without cutting anything.
Wiggy, don't you think the engineers on duty would have tried the easy (non-cutting) stuff first?
NSEU is offline  
Old 9th Mar 2016, 08:06
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: The blasted heath
Posts: 259
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Given the amount of gear police officers walk around with (which pretty much doubles their many, already ample, waist sizes) I doubt 'stormed' is quite the right word.
gcal is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.