Aviation Security: Historical Attacks and Countermeasures
A Retrospective View of Crimes and Terrorism in Aviation
Types of Attack
- Three “fundamental” types of attack on aviation:
- Hijacking (skyjacking) aircraft
- Bomb placement in aircraft
- Airport terminal assaults
- Types of attack have changed little over time, but motivations, methods, and purposes have changed.
- Now we should add “airplane as a weapon” to the list above.
- Lethality and damage to society have expanded enormously.
The “Eras” of Attacks on Aviation
- 1930-1960
- 1960-1980
- 1980-1990
- 1990-2001
- Post-
US Aviation Security: Regulations and Agencies
US Responses to Unlawful Acts in Aviation
Brief History of US Bureaucratic Responses to Threats
- 1961: Air Marshal program initiated.
- 1971: FAR Part 107 (Airport Security) created.
- 1971 & 1974: Anti-Hijacking laws passed.
- 1978: Act to Combat Terrorism.
- 1990: Aviation Security Improvement Act.
- 1996: White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security.
- 1996: Aviation Security and Antiterrorism Act.
- 2000: Airport Security Improvement Act.
- 2001: Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA).
- 2002: Homeland
Aircraft Safety Systems: Enhancing Flight Operations
Aircraft Safety Systems: Enhancing Flight Operations
Principal Risk Elements to Safe Aircraft Flight Operations
- Loss of power
- Loss of control
- Stopping
- Failure of aircraft structure
- Aircraft fires
- Mid-air collisions
Jet Engine Safety Contributions
- Major increases in power, especially at high altitudes
- More power available for engine failure situations
- Much simpler controls = fewer opportunities for human failure
- Ability to cruise at high altitudes, above most bad weather
- Ability to climb quickly through bad weather
- Dramatically
Aircraft Certification Standards and Airworthiness Compliance
Means of Compliance (MoC)
- MoC 0, Statement: Direct Answer. Applicant declaration, normally supported with a short rationale, which shows compliance with the requirement.
- MoC 1, Description: Descriptive document or reference to a document including the drawings that show compliance with the requirement.
- MoC 2, Analysis: Documents with calculations and analysis that show compliance with the requirements.
- MoC 3, Safety Assessment: Specific analysis prepared to show compliance with Safety Requirements (
Aviation Security: Threats and Acts of Unlawful Interference
Understanding “Unlawful Interference”
“Unlawful Interference” encompasses a wide spectrum of acts, ranging from moderately disruptive behavior to mass terrorist attacks. Examples include:
- Vandalism of airport facilities
- Air rage
- Threatening flight attendants
- Drug smuggling
- Cargo theft
- Bomb threats
- Sabotage of aircraft/NAVAIDS
- “Simple” hijackings
- Fatal hijackings
- Aircraft bombing
- 9/11 mass attacks
ICAO Annex 17: Defining “Unlawful Interference” with Civil Aviation
ICAO Annex 17 defines “Unlawful Interference”
Read MoreArchitectural Styles and Movements: From Antiquity to Modernity
Key Quotes on Architecture
- Le Corbusier: “The masterly, correct, and magnificent play of volumes brought together in light.”
- Mies van der Rohe: “Architecture is the will of an epoch translated to space.”
- Pablo Campos: “Architecture is the composition of spaces in space.”
- Art: “The intellectualization of sensations through expression.”
Public Library Stockholm and Architectural Precedents
Public Library Stockholm (1920-27) by Erik Gunnar Asplund (1895-1940) introduces Modern Architecture in Scandinavia.
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