SEVADom
Posts: 37
Joined: 2/3/2006 Status: offline
|
quote:
It would probably lead to explosive decompression and cause the plane to crash anyway but that's beside the point. Actually, the explosive decompression thing (caused by handgun fire) is a myth propagated by Hollywood. The size holes that could be caused by handgun ammo (and yes, they definitely would create holes if they hit the fuselage) would cause air leaks. Scary screechy-sounding ones that can, over time, let enough air out to cause hypoxia (for passengers who can't/don't do the oxygen bag thing). But if the pilot dove to about 10,000 feet (which he should do anyway if his cabin pressure gauge shows a steady or sudden unexplained decrease for this very reason), no-one should die of hypoxia. And no-one would get sucked out a hole. It would take a several foot across hole created all at once (say, with a bomb) to cause explosive decompression. And even then, depending on where in the aircraft it happened, the aircraft would have some chance of landing. (I imagine a bad place, for example, would be at a wing attachment point!) However, in this case there's a good chance that some of the passengers would die in the process--because with a big hole, those right next to it could be sucked out. (And of course, it was a bomb ...) But such a sucking would last only a split second, so it would (by itself) not endanger those more than a few feet away. So, let's not allow bombs on aircraft. Oh, wait ... There's a good, non-sensational article on the subject here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_pressurization So I vote to allow ccw holders to carry on planes. Were that to happen, and become known, I suspect the incidence of hijackings on American aircraft would decrease to near zero. (I'd feel safer, whether I was carrying or not.) The incidence of hijackings of American aircraft is already quite low now, since passengers and crew no longer follow the "wait 'em out and we'll all be fine" approach--because it doesn't work with the guys most likely to try it. And, if perchance a bad guy does get control of a commercial aircraft, there's a fair chance that some government will conclude that the risk of its being used as a projectile is too great and shoot it down. Now, someone says "hijack" on an aircraft and everyone within earshot is all over them like white on rice. It's really difficult to successfully hijack an American aircraft these days. It doesn't happen much. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_hijacking
|