Fri, Jan 01, 2010
Call Renewed After Incident On Northwest Airlines Flight
#253
In the aftermath of a potentially catastrophic terrorist
attack on American soil, CAPA is calling on TSA to close glaring
loopholes in the aviation security system more than eight years
after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. CAPA has been asking for
threat intelligence to be shared with aircrews who have to face the
threat in flight and for training that would aid airborne flight
crews in recognizing threat individuals.
TSA spokeswoman Sterling Payne said "Based on intelligence
information at that time, a strategic, risk-based decision was made
to notify all 128 flights inbound from Europe" following the
Christmas Day attempt to bring down a Northwest Airlines A320. CAPA
and its 28,000 pilots are outraged that more than 3,500 flights
airborne over the continental United States and the many thousands
of flights over the Pacific and South America were not notified.
"Why Federal Officials withhold threat intelligence from aircrew
that would face the threat in-flight remains a mystery to CAPA"
said President Paul Onorato adding "All airborne flights should
have been notified immediately and there is no excuse why this was
not done."
CAPA has asked every TSA Administrator since its founding to
mandate that critical threat intelligence be disseminated to the
Captain of each flight, who is by law, the in-flight security
coordinator but to date the TSA has failed to do so. Security
Directives and Information Circulars with threat information often
are never seen by aircrew even though the 9/11 Commission cited the
lack of sharing of threat intelligence as one of the critical
reasons why the attacks of 9/11 were successful.
CAPA has also asked that aircrew are trained in Behavioral
Recognition Techniques similar to what TSA's own Behavioral
Detection Officers (BDOs) receive for observing passengers as they
enter the screening checkpoints. The BDOs are trained to recognize
certain behavioral indicators which are characteristic to criminal
activity with the intent to intervene prior to the incident
occurring. TSA has refused to offer these valuable training
techniques to aircrew, especially flight attendants, who have the
best opportunity to recognize criminal behavioral indicators in the
cabin while boarding or airborne during the course of their
duties.
"It is reasonable to think that this man was exhibiting some signs
of stress, probably increasingly so as the flight proceeded to
Detroit", said CAPA President Paul Onorato, "if the crewmembers
were trained in behavioral detection, there is a possibility they
could have determined the passenger was acting suspiciously prior
to the detonation."
"The behavior detection training that the TSA offers is excellent",
said CAPA Director of Security Bill Cason, "it is a highly
successful program and would be an excellent tool for crewmembers,
who are all too often the first responders to the threat."
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