April 29, 2002. Copyright 2002. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

Pilots favour Tasers over lethal weapons in cockpit

LONDON, April 29, Graphic News: 

WASHINGTON --  The U.S. government plans to decide this week whether it will let airline pilots carry stun guns in the cockpit, an anti-terror measure that key officials favour over arming crew members with hand guns.

A new aviation security law permits the U.S. government to decide whether and how to arm pilots. Republican leaders on the House of Representatives transportation committee plan to submit legislation on Tuesday that would let pilots carry hand guns as a last line of defense, a congressional aide said. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Transportation officials met with United Airlines and leading stun gun manufacturer, TASER International, last week to discuss a report from the carrier about its tests of TASER equipment. United has purchased 1,300 TASER stun guns and has trained about a third of its 9,000 pilots in how to use them, the airline said.

ÒOur goal is to make sure we keep the bad guys off the airplanes. If they get on the airplanes, to keep them out of the cockpit, and if they try to get into the cockpit that we have a way of absolutely stopping them,Ó said UnitedÕs Captain Hank Krankowski.

United is the first of the major airlines to adopt the less-than-lethal Taser which will bring potential attackers down with a jolt. Taser says its M-26 has a 94 percent success rate in the field and says some 1,300 U.S. police departments use them.
/ENDS

Sources: Associated Press, Taser International