Dealing with Terrorist attacks on Commercial Aircraft

The Christmas day attack on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit by a passenger who ignited an incendiary device is an important reminder for all of us. If the passenger really is connected to Al Quaeda, as he claimed, it is another example of that organization's strategy to repeat it's attacks on a target until they are successful.

In 1993, Islamist terrorists lead by Ramzi Yousef detonated a bomb in the basement of the North Tower of the World Trade Center(WTC) in New York, killing six people and injuring 1,042. The attack was intended to bring down both towers, but failed. In 2001, however, the terrorists were back with a different method, crashing aircraft into the towers. As we know, this time they were successful.

On 22 December, 2001, Shoe Bomber Richard Reid attempted to ignite explosives aboard American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami. He was overpowered by passengers and crew and is now in jail.

In 2006, British authorities arrested three men accused of plotting to blow up at least seven trans-Atlantic airliners in one day over the Atlantic, by detonating liquid explosives.

This latest attempt on the Detroit-bound flight shows that Al Quaeda is still determined to bring down commercial aircraft. It also illustrates that they don't quite have the technology worked out yet, but as with the WTC bombing, they are persistent. It also shows that increased security at airports is important as a first line of defense to stop terrorists and explosives getting onto airplanes, but as in this latest case, cannot be relied upon to prevent every single attack.

The most important lesson we can all learn from this incident and others like it is that once an aircraft takes off, the only people who can save the crew and the passengers are the crew and the passengers. It doesn't matter how many F-16s are scrambled to escort the aircraft, those fighter pilots cannot take out the terrorists on the aircraft, they can only shoot the plane down before it can be crashed into a target on the ground. It is vital that when a passenger starts to act in a threatening manner, such as trying to ignite a bomb, the passengers and crew act immediately and decisively to take him down with overwhelming physical force.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, the people on board Flight 93 quickly came to this realization and fought to take control of the cockpit from the hijackers. Although they were not able to save their own lives, and the aircraft crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, their actions saved the lives of people at whatever place was intended as the fourth target for the terrorists on that fateful morning.

The key is to be Prepared, Aware, and Decisive. Prepare a simple plan before boarding the aircraft. When I board a plane, I make sure I'm wearing clothing that will allow me to fight effectively in the case of a hijacking, and will also enable me to escape in the event the aircraft has to make an emergency landing. For me, this means jeans and boots. It amazes me how many passengers I see wearing inappropriate footwear such as flip-flops; guys wearing shorts and women wearing dresses or tight skirts.

I also prepare by carrying my important papers: ticket, credit cards, money, passport, etc. on me, and not in my carry on bag. If we need to evacuate the airplane quickly, I want to just get up and go with the vital items in my pocket. I can always buy the other stuff later.

I stay aware of my surroundings, and I make a point of evaluating the passengers around me: Are they going to be of some help in a fight, or are they likely to cause trouble? The days of getting drunk on a flight are over. A drink is fine, but we need to be able to function effectively in an emergency.

If trouble does start, it does not pay to do nothing and hope someone else will step up and fix the problem. It's important to act decisively once the situation becomes obvious.