"Pilot's gun discharges on US Airways flight"....not good! (merged x 3)

[goawayfarm]

Pilot's gun discharges on US Airways flight 5:39 PM | Local News | News for Charlotte, North Carolina | WCNC.com | Top Stories

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- A US Airways pilot’s gun accidentally discharged during a flight from Denver to Charlotte Saturday, according to as statement released by the airline. The statement said the discharge happened on Flight 1536, which left Denver at approximately 6:45am and arrived in Charlotte at approximately 11:51am. The Airbus A319 plane landed safely and none of the flight’s 124 passengers or five crew members was injured, according to the statement. It was a full flight. And airline spokeswoman said the plane has been taken out of service to make sure it is safe to return to flight. A Transportation Safety Administration spokeswoman reached by WCNC Sunday said the pilot is part of TSA’s Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program, which trains pilots to carry guns on flights. Andrea McCauley said the gun discharged in the cockpit, but she could not release how the gun was being transported at the time. She did not release the pilot’s name, but said he was authorized to carry the weapon and was last requalified in the FFDO program last November. A statement from TSA said the airplane was never in danger, and the TSA and the Federal Air Marshals Service are investigating the incident. WCNC reporter Diana Rugg is following up on this story. If you or someone you know were on that flight, please e-mail her at drugg@wcnc.com.

This is just what we need.....NOT. This won't help allowing any armed civilians EVER getting on an airliner.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SIXTO]

Wow. I guess this will shut up all the know nothings who said that a bullet hole will bring down an airliner.

[Colin]

Gun unsecured in holster, falls out as pilot climbs into/out of seat?
or
Wrong holster for gun?
or
Someone playing with gun? I suspect putting holes into muti-million dollar airplanes while being silly is not good for the career...

[Cupcake]

A little duct tape and that plane is good as new...

Also, WHAT THE HECK IS A GUN DOING UNHOLSTERED IN-FLIGHT without genuine need? Let me guess, showing it to a flight attendant?

[bandit383]

Gun unsecured in holster, falls out as pilot climbs into/out of seat?
or
Wrong holster for gun?
or
Someone playing with gun? I suspect putting holes into muti-million dollar airplanes while being silly is not good for the career...

Don't think guns are suppose to go off if dropped...I'm betting he/she caught the trigger on something.

Rick

[dukalmighty]

I've heard tell of this "mile high club"I think i'll refrain from becoming a member,sounds like a long flight and maybe he was showing the other pilot his weapon and during show and tell bang

[doobie]

We probably won't hear what happened, but I'm sure it was negligent, not and accident.

[Ram Rod]

I figured with current technology they'd have cameras in the cockpit by now.

[Pete Zaria]

How about a "No clearing leather while onboard except under emergency circumstances" rule? Guns don't pull their own triggers and everyone on this board knows it. This guy did something stupid.

Peace,
Pete Zaria.

[SSKC]

I'm going to reserve judgement until I find out what happened. I have several friends who are pilots and am told that the method of securing the firearm is dangerous and is an A/D waiting to happen. Maybe they were right.

Tim

[FN1910]

My wife's cousin is a pilot for US Air and I just checked to be sure it wasn't him. His main route is from Miami to Colombia and he told me that he never flies without his .38 in his flight bag. Any time the so called "Experts" get involved in things like this something gets screwed up.

[Tangle]

I'm going to reserve judgement until I find out what happened. I have several friends who are pilots and am told that the method of securing the firearm is dangerous and is an A/D waiting to happen. Maybe they were right.

Tim

+1 on reserving judgement. I can readily see how firearm regulations can cause extraneous and unnecessary handling of a firearm in a cockpit.

[Cupcake]

+1 on reserving judgement. I can readily see how firearm regulations can cause extraneous and unnecessary handling of a firearm in a cockpit.

Thats true, I can see them requiring the gun to be empty until in-flight, or maybe locked and loaded until wheels up, then requiring the chamber to be empty and "safed".

[rstickle]

What make and model weapon are they using?

[JRG]

If the pilot was carrying one of the recommended handguns for pilots, then I would have to suggest this more than likely is a case of 'negligent discharge'....hopefully the person responsible will be held accountable...