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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: joseph krinsky who wrote (6739)	10/9/2001 12:58:22 PM
From: joseph krinsky	Respond to of 27666

Tuesday October 9, 12:53 pm Eastern Time U.S. authorizes stronger airliner cockpit doors (UPDATE: more details from FAA action, airline steps) By John Crawley WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - One day after the latest in-flight scare aboard a commercial jetliner, U.S. regulators on Tuesday formally granted airlines wide latitude to reinforce cockpit doors aboard commercial aircraft within 90 days. The Federal Aviation Administration regulations leave it up to each airline to determine the safest and most-effective way to reinforce access to the flight deck. The rules, which are effective immediately, were issued just days after a federal task force recommended stronger cockpit doors as a way to protect pilots from potential intruders. Authorities have said the suspected hijackers of four U.S. airliners on Sept. 11 apparently gained access to cockpits and rammed three of the jets into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Federal regulators have been working separately with individual airlines on security options in recent days, and have approved some proposals to install bars on cockpit doors. ``This action allows airline operators to quickly modify the flight crew compartment door to delay or deter unauthorized entry,'' the FAA said. WIDE DISCRETION The formal industry guidelines give airlines wide discretion to retrofit doors, mandating no specific design or engineering standards that must be met. The chief requirement is for carriers to notify the FAA within 90 days on the changes they have made. ``This will allow the FAA to monitor what has been installed and take action if the installation creates an unacceptable safety risk,'' the agency said. The FAA also wants to know within six months whether the changes permit safe evacuation from the cockpit during an emergency and proper venting. The agency also will now prohibit flight attendants from carrying cockpit door keys during a flight. Regulators usually spell out the smallest details when requiring airlines to make safety changes on aircraft. Those regulations can take months or years to satisfy bureaucratic, industry and engineering standards before they are issued. ``Given the urgency of the need to take action'' the FAA said it was in ``the public interest to forgo'' certain rule-making requirements. On Tuesday, Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL - news) became the latest major carrier to announce that it was ready to take steps to strengthen flight deck security. The new rules temporarily grant variances from existing cockpit door design standards. AIRLINE STEPS Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA - news) Chairman Phil Condit sounded a cautious note recently about temporary measures, like deadbolts. ``Frankly, that worries me,'' Condit said. ``We've got to be very careful that what looks like a straightforward quick fix may lead to other problems.'' Condit said some airlines will retrofit cockpit doors themselves, while others may want Boeing's help. Continental, like other big airlines, is working with aircraft manufacturers to install a restraint, like a deadbolt or security bars, on the inside of cockpit doors. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines (NYSE:UAL - news) submitted information last week to the FAA on its plans to install security bars. ``There's no change on our part,'' United spokesman Joe Hopkins, said. ``We're following ahead on that. We hope to have the cockpit door reinforcement program completed by the 21st of October.'' On Monday, military jets scrambled to escort an American Airlines (NYSE:AMR - news) jetliner to a safe landing at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport after passengers helped the crew subdue a mentally ill man who forced his way into the cockpit, authorities said. The company said that incident had not changed its aircraft security planning, stressing that it is moving as quickly as possible. American will install bars. biz.yahoo.com