Increasing Security for Air Travel

* President Clinton can and must immediately do much more to improve our national security than simply ordering changes such as stricter baggage inspections (July 26). Why do airlines in several other countries use an advanced X-ray scanner capable of detecting plastic as well as metal explosives, while only three U.S. airports have such a device? They are ex- pensive--up to $1 million each. It might take as much as $2 billion to equip airlines at the 75 busiest U.S. airports. But that’s less than 1% of our tax money going to the military each year. Can they get by on only 99% of the $260 billion our government gives them annually?

Until Congress decides where to get the necessary funds for bomb detection, President Clinton could take the first step by ordering 93 of the scanners using the $93 million just allotted to IBM to build a computer 300 times more powerful than any now in existence, to be used for checking the reliability of our nuclear bombs (July 27).

EARL BUDIN

Santa Barbara

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* In watching the events surrounding the recovery of the recorders from TWA’s Flight 800, we learned that less-than-minimal flight and cockpit voice data were recovered. This was apparently due to the lack of a battery backup system for those recorders combined with a questionable lack of structural integrity of their enclosures.

In the electronics industry, a battery backup system is a common practice. It is rudimentary, consisting generally of an internal battery on trickle charge from the system’s main power supply. That would have allowed a few precious minutes of continued recording after the main system’s failure.

MARV GONSIOR

Fullerton

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* Terrorists plant bombs in the cargo of airlines. But cargo doesn’t have to be carried on passenger airliners. It can be carried separately by air freight, thereby decreasing the need for security and increasing the safety of passengers. The decreased cost of security could pay for the costs of the separate flight.

MEL SHAPIRO

San Diego

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* Re the families’ and politicians’ reactions to the recovery efforts in the aftermath of the tragedy of TWA Flight 800: It is understandable for victims’ families to be frustrated at the pace of recovery; it can never be fast enough for them. Venting is natural too.

But the recovery teams are trying to do their best, and their goal should be to prevent another tragedy by getting accurate information on this crash.

My disappointment in those reactions pales next to my contempt for the worthless politicians who would take advantage of this catastrophe to try to score some PR by announcing plans to pass federal legislation for air crash reporting.

Finally, I was disappointed in The Times for failing to report on these unnecessary legislative efforts, especially ones that are motivated by greed and opportunism.

ROBERT ANDERSON

Pacific Palisades