Congress Weighs Arming Pilots

There were dueling visions of what could transpire if guns are allowed in the cockpit of commercial airliners put forth on Capitol Hill Thursday as lawmakers wrestled with the question of whether pilots should be given guns to protect themselves and their passengers in an era of terrorist threats.

In one, a pilot opens fire as hijackers try to take control of the cockpit and a ricocheting bullet strikes down a passenger ducking for cover. Another bullet takes out the airplane's electrical system.

In another scenario an F-16 jet fighter fires missiles at a commercial airliner after terrorists break into the cockpit and gain control from the unarmed pilots.

"This is one of the most important issues we have to face as far as aviation security in the United States," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation aviation subcommittee and a sponsor of legislation to arm pilots.

The airline security law enacted after the Sept. 11 terror attacks empowers the new Transportation Security Administration to decide whether to allow pilots to carry firearms. The agency has yet to decide, although Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said they oppose the idea.

Sources tell CBS News that the Department of Transportation is expected to hand down a decision this week.

But momentum is building in Congress for the proposal to arm America's commercial airline pilots to protect against terrorist hijackings, even if the Bush administration officials oppose it.

An armed pilot would be the last line of defense against a terrorist hijacking, argued Capt. Steve Luckey, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association's national security committee.

"Transport aircraft must now be viewed as potential human-guided missiles if they fall into the hands of a suicidal terrorist," Luckey said.

Federal air marshals fly on relatively few flights, although the government has been acting to increase their presence. United Airlines Capt. Henry Krakowski, the airline's vice president for safety, security and quality assurance, said he had never seen a marshal on one of his flights.

Opponents said pilots must concentrate on flying planes, not fighting terrorists.

"I want the airplane to be flown by someone who believes that's their job, not to be the last line of defense," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif.

Ronald Hinderberger, director of aviation safety for Boeing, said there was only a slight risk of a plane crashing because of an errant bullet puncturing the fuselage. Indeed, planes have survived gunfire and bombs, he said.

Nevertheless, he said, "there is a remote possibility of causing a fire, explosion, engine failure or loss of critical systems, given an unfortunate placement of shots and combination of conditions," he said.

Others said the risk of an errant shot is far outweighed by the benefit of preventing another terrorist hijacking.

"The weapon in the airplane would be nothing more than a piece of emergency equipment," Luckey said. "The only reason we want lethal force in the cockpit is to provide an opportunity to get the aircraft on the ground. We don't have 9-1-1. We can't pull over."

United Parcel Service pilot Marc Flagg, whose parents were on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon Sept. 11, said the pilots could have fought back had there been guns in the cockpit.

"If the pilots were armed, it definitely would have been a different story," Flagg said.

Transportation officials also are reviewing whether to allow nonlethal weapons in the cockpits, such as stun guns. A study by the National Institute of Justice found that such weapons could allow flight crews to stop hijackings, but more tests were needed.

"These weapons have the potential to interrupt an attack, control the aggressor or delay an attack while the flight crew safely lands the plane," said Sarah Hart, director of the institute's Office of Justice Programs.

American Airlines pilot Al Aitken said stun guns couldn't stop a group of terrorists trying to take over a plane.

"You might take one down, possibly a second," Aitken said, "and you will still lose control of the aircraft as the rest of the terrorist team continues the hijacking."

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said President Bush would leave the decision to the Transportation Department.

"The president on this decision looks to his experts in the area of transportation and transportation security," Fleischer said. "And the recommendation of the experts is that this not proceed."