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."

FMI: www.capapilots.org