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Did TSA rules cause the cockpit pistol discharge?
Here's the story, in the Washington Times. Transportation Safety Admin. was extremely reluctant (downright passive-aggressive) on allowing pilots to carry. The story is unclear, but it sounds as if TSA required any gun to be trigger-locked every time the cockpit door is opened, which can be ten times per flight. Of course one problem with trigger locks is that they can pull the trigger while being inserted.
Interesting... the Times story appeared two days ago. But the only MSM pick-up of the issue that I can find is the Charlotte Observer.
UPDATE: a couple of comments pointed out this story, which has a picture of the TSA-mandated rig. It's absolutely insane. Only a government agency could devise a "safety procedure" like this one. It's some sort of a holster with a round hole thru it in the trigger area, thru which the user has to thread a padlock. The trigger itself is not visible during the process, but if the lock goes thru the trigger guard ahead of the trigger, an accidental discharge would be almost certain. The rig is designed to make ADs almost certain, over time.
Oh, and the author of that page was warning, back in December that "None of the law enforcement firearms trainers I’ve talked to view this padlock holster as anything more that a hazard to all but terrorists ..."
Comments
If you haven't already seen it, here's a picture of the rig. What I'd like to see is that photo showing up all over the place. I'm surprised it hasn't. I wonder why a pilot hasn't exposed this long ago.
Of course, the gun-ban crowd will try to use this to scuttle the program.
Posted by: jed at March 30, 2008 02:19 PM
Here's even more.
Watch the video and read the comments.
http://www.crimefilenews.com/2008/03/video-of-dangerous-firearm-policy-of.html
Use caution mousing around the page, It crashed Firefox once and loaded an unwanted page.
tom gunn
Posted by: tom gunn at March 30, 2008 03:11 PM
Only a fool jams something through the trigger guard of a loaded pistol. The exception is the government.
A proper carry holster covers and protects the trigger area.
Posted by: bill-tb at March 30, 2008 04:54 PM
Reply to Tom Gunn; There’s some particularly nasty malware afoot that injects it’s code on top of a legitimate websites you’re visiting. For Firefox, pick up a free add-on called No-Script.
Posted by: Jerry in Detroit at March 31, 2008 07:06 AM
Firefox and no-script, don't browse without it ... add Adblock for the discerning user.
For research load up scrapbook from the Firefox add-ons site.
Just couldn't help myself ...
Posted by: bill-tb at March 31, 2008 07:48 AM
Of course, the gun-ban crowd will try to use this to scuttle the program.
At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, this holster design (and its inevitable result of ADs) could very easily just be the next thing in the administration of the FFDO program, which the FAA didn't want to accept but was forced to by law. From the beginning it's almost a hardship for a pilot to actually get through the FFDO and start carrying onboard. The lack of safety by this mandated holster could be just meant to make the program look like it's not working in an effort to get it scuttled.
And to Bill-TB:
Only a fool jams something through the trigger guard of a loaded pistol. The exception is the government.
But you repeat yourself. ;-)
Posted by: JT at March 31, 2008 09:11 AM
"TSA required any gun to be trigger-locked every time the cockpit door is opened ..."
Excuse me? Since I would presume that the point of having armed aircrew is to prevent hijackings, I would think that the rule should be that the trigger be UNLOCKED everytime the cockpit door is opened.
Another example of why the phrase "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." has been part of rural humor for a long time.
Posted by: MichaelG at March 31, 2008 10:15 AM
TSA is a hoax designed to fool the American people into believing that "long lines" are the equivalent of "safety."
No so. Passengers ready, willing, and ABLE to immediately kill any potential hijacker are the only defense. (N.B. One person can kill a hijacker. It takes 3 or 4 to subdue, capture, and hold.)
Perhaps you can substitute a federal Air Marshall on the 1% of flights they ride. But, otherwise, you are on your own.
Posted by: 30yearprof at March 31, 2008 11:49 AM
I'm pretty sure that this is a DeSantis holster.
Also, yes, the Antis are already on this. Our friends the Gun Guys were yammering about it a few days ago. "Blood in the Cockpits!!"
Posted by: jdberger at April 1, 2008 04:08 PM