Simfly, in the notes section of the Commission report, there is reference to the concurrent successful hijackings of a PanAm 747, a TWA 707, and a Swissair DC-9, and the failed hijacking of an El-Al plane, on the same day in 1970. The notes section also describes a scenario exercise done in 1998 under Richard Clarke's (a now famous senior staffer in Clinton's White House) auspices in which terrorists would fly an explosive-laden Learjet into a Washington building.

From reading the hijacking chapter and the accompanying notes, one gets a sense that the Boston ATC seemed to react with greater initiative and speed to the unfolding situation than did other regional centers, or the FAA's national command center in Herndon, Virginia.

the world will never be the same again.
lets learn before incidents, not just after.

a few weeks before 9/11, a letter in flt. int. posed the question,
would flight crew be able to keep a security door closed as passengers and cabin crew are subject to acts of violence?

i think we know the answer now.
lets hope no one ever has to find out.

a few un-addressed points about 9/11 hijackings,
the assailants were trained in martial arts, no doubt potentialy leathal.
there is no way of detecting this, but there clearly is a need for a defence, incase we dont have a cabin of spirited people aware of the gravity of any situation.

As the time between 9/11 and the present becomes greater I find the events that took place on that day even more unbelievable and offensive.

As a professional aviator to see our flying machines used in such a fashion is something which I have great diificulty coming to terms with since all our working lives are spent minimising risk and working hard to get our passengers and fellow crew members safely to their destinations. The loss of one life is a tragedy for all that know that person but so many to go at the same time in such a bizarre manner is a catastrophe beyond all imagination.

Wino summed it up. The only action we need to stop another 9/11 is to keep the door closed and deny access to the flight deck. If an alert is signalled by the cabin, cut off communication with them totally, do not acept any incoming calls, to avoid being pressured, declare an emergency and land at the nearest airport. Simple. If the pilots had been warned of what was known about El Quaida's intentions prior to 9/11 this terrible attack would not have succeeded.

The rest of it is designed just to keep the unwashed public in a state of fear and compliant. There has never been an occasion when airport security caught a terrorist and never will, since they are smart enough to know how to avoid the traps. There have been many successful hijacks by persons who did not have any weapons at all, but were able to impose their will by threat or bluff. So long as bottles are allowed on board, the whole thing remains a sick joke.

Only by putting air marshalls on every flight would that plan work.

Anti-congregation, Presidential TFRs (a president and his deputies, wives and so on terrified of their subjects. Why?), enhanced security levels and the like are all stupid ideas.

Flight deck doors do not need to be bullet proof, just closed and barred. Arming the pilots would help but is not essential. CAPPS and the like is never going to work, and will just hassle the innocent.

Of course that leaves airplanes without flight deck doors vulnerable, as they have always been. Let's hope that their passengers have the same bravery as those of Flight 93.

As a pilot , the most important part of this report, is the fact that the passengers where willing to to stand up and FIGHT !

Hopefully I now have passengers who will not hesitate to respond with an eqal level of heroism
at the appropriate moment
this might well be the key factor in preventing anymore such situations

concurrent successful hijackings of a PanAm 747, a TWA 707, and a Swissair DC-9, and the failed hijacking of an El-Al plane, on the same day in 1970

6 September. The Swissair was a DC-8 and there was also a BOAC VC-10 taken. All except the El Al were blown up without loss of hostages, one at Cairo the rest at Zerqa, Jordan aka Dawson's Field. I hope this is not indicative of the accuracy of the report as a whole :(

I'm also not sure of the relevance to 9/11. The hijackers on that day did not pilot the planes, did not harm anybody on board (except during the Israeli storming of the LY 707) nor were they intent on suicide. It was an operation to free PFLP terrorist held in the countries targetted.

Sept 11th Hijackers
 

God Bless to all those innocent men, women and children who lost their lives that terrible day in September.

However, what is the UK's approach to Hijackers, we offer them assylum (Afghan 727), for at least deporting them home, or placing them on trial, we are informed, would be a `threat to their civil liberties`

Thought BALPA would have been more openly vocal on this position, if they have I apologise, but at present I have seen very little to come from 81 New Road on this particular ruling. My opinion only folks, but I think this is a rather poor show to say the least.

Let's never forget all those who perished.