Pilots Advised to Reconsider Strategy

With terrorists now using aircraft as weapons, a union representing commercial airline pilots is advising its members to act aggressively when confronted by hijackers.

Pilots have been taught in annual training sessions to cooperate with hijackers. But that was before Tuesday’s terrorist attacks.

“We’ve been guarding against the traditional hijacker who wanted the aircraft on the ground and his monetary or political demands met,” said David Richards, a US Airways pilot from Charlotte, N.C. “Never did we dream they would be using the aircraft as weapons.”

The Air Line Pilots Assn. said pilots should consider depressurizing the plane or taking drastic maneuvers to keep assailants off balance and away from the cockpit.

Among the recommendations:

* If there is any doubt or suspicion about flight security, captains should not close the door for departure until it is resolved.

* Cockpits are equipped with a crash ax, which should be considered a potential defensive weapon. The pilot must be prepared to kill a cockpit intruder.

* If any type of security event begins in the cabin, pilots should not hesitate to declare an emergency and land the aircraft.

* If the aircraft has a cockpit door, the pilot should lock it and not allow anyone to enter without knowledge and consent. Doors should have a deadbolt lock.