Program in High Gear
written by: Deborah Sherman (I-Team Reporter)      
 
WASHINGTON - U.S. congressmen introduced legislation Thursday that would arm pilots faster to help protect the skies from the threat of another terrorist attack.

Last month, the I-TEAM first reported problems in the armed pilots program. More than two and a half years after the Sept. 11 attacks, most people think commercial airline pilots are carrying guns, but only 1,500 pilots out of 115,000 nationwide are carrying weapons, according to the Airline Pilots Security Alliance.

Congress expected most pilots to have attended Transportation Security Administration weapons training by now, but on Thursday, Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., accused the TSA of dragging its feet, leaving just 2 percent of pilots armed.

"Tens of thousands said they wanted to volunteer, volunteer mind you, for this program. But we have only a small fraction of them in the skies today, but none on international flights, even though the law allows it," Bunning said.

The TSA's Nico Melendez says the program is on track.

"To date, we've trained hundreds of people and by the end of the year, we will have trained everyone that has volunteered for the program," Melendez said.

The new legislation would offer pilots more than just one remote training facility, and it would end psychological evaluations, which some pilots are failing.

"We've had one pilot that flies combat air patrols over the Washington, D.C., area turned down. The best and the brightest that want to participate in this program are being turned down and we don't know why," said Dean Roberts of the Airline Pilots Security Alliance.

But the TSA says the evaluations are critical because pilots need to be mentally prepared to fly and fire.

Some people question whether a pilot would be able to shoot and kill someone, and then sit back down and land the airplane.

The bill would also change how pilots carry their loaded weapons, which they claim baggage handlers are misplacing. Pilots say some of their weapons end up on baggage claim carousels.

The bill has bipartisan support, including from Colorado Congressmen Mark Udall and Sen. Wayne Allard.

The TSA says it is open to re-adjusting its program, if changes are needed.


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