Airline pilot films TSA checkpoints, points out flaws and posts it to YouTube.

[yizuman]

Sacramento-area pilot punished for YouTube video

SACRAMENTO, CA - An airline pilot is being disciplined by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for posting video on YouTube pointing out what he believes are serious flaws in airport security.

The 50-year-old pilot, who lives outside Sacramento, asked that neither he nor his airline be identified. He has worked for the airline for more than a decade and was deputized by the TSA to carry a gun in the cockpit.

He is also a helicopter test pilot in the Army Reserve and flew missions for the United Nations in Macedonia.

Three days after he posted a series of six video clips recorded with a cell phone camera at San Francisco International Airport, four federal air marshals and two sheriff's deputies arrived at his house to confiscate his federally-issued firearm. The pilot recorded that event as well and provided all the video to News10.

At the same time as the federal marshals took the pilot's gun, a deputy sheriff asked him to surrender his state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon.

A follow-up letter from the sheriff's department said the CCW permit would be reevaluated following the outcome of the federal investigation.

The YouTube videos, posted Nov. 28, show what the pilot calls the irony of flight crews being forced to go through TSA screening while ground crew who service the aircraft are able to access secure areas simply by swiping a card.

"As you can see, airport security is kind of a farce. It's only smoke and mirrors so you people believe there is actually something going on here," the pilot narrates.

Video shot in the cockpit shows a medieval-looking rescue ax available on the flight deck after the pilots have gone through the metal detectors. "This looks a little more formidable than a box cutter, doesn't it?" the pilot asks rhetorically.

A letter from the TSA dated Dec. 6 informed the pilot that "an administrative review into your deputation status as a Federal Flight Deck Officer has been initiated."

According to the letter, the review was directly related to the discovery by TSA staff of the YouTube videos. "The content and subject of these videos may have violated regulations concerning disclosure of sensitive security information," the letter said.

The pilot's attorney, Don Werno of Santa Ana, said he believed the federal government sent six people to the house to send a message.

"And the message was you've angered us by telling the truth and by showing America that there are major security problems despite the fact that we've spent billions of dollars allegedly to improve airline safety," Werno said.

The pilot said he is not in trouble with his airline, but a supervisor asked him to remove public access to the YouTube videos.

He does, however, face potential civil penalties from the TSA. He said he would likely go public when it becomes clear what the government plans to do with him.

News10.net | Sacramento - Stockton - Modesto, California | Video

Another proof TSA is nothing but a complete utter failure.

Yiz

 

[Sage314]

Well, as far as I can say the TSA checkpoint for ground service employees hasn't changed much. I remember on "Take Your Child To Work" day, after a chaperoned tour of the airport and stuff. My mom would take me to the ground crew area where she worked as a Fleet Service Agent, (she does everything from, loading the plane with luggage, taxi's the planes to and from the gate, etc..) a lot of heavy machinery . It was fun, we had the opportunity to ride the tractor and load bags from the converter belt. But now they're not allowed to take kids in that area anymore, sadly .

Now to get to the point, she would take me and my other siblings back there just to see how things worked. All she needed to do was scan her work bag and walk through a x-ray thing then swipe her I.D. card to open a door. Quite simple right? I thought the same to myself, and I was only like 12 then (it was 2005 actually, years after 9/11. I'm 17 now). A huge flaw in TSA security even after something like 9/11. Every time I fly I think about that . I'm sure it's pretty easy to find yourself a I.D. card and sneak your way in there, being that most ground crew employees eat and hangout in the general airport area during their break (trust me I know, I fly a lot and it's basically the same at every airport. Its easy to identify a ground crew employee with their bright yellow and orange vest and basic mechanic like uniform.)

Furthermore, I think TSA will definitely up the security in those areas of airport from now on, people are aware of it now and would think twice before flying or think of ways to do something mischievous . It's just to easy for some deranged psycho-terrorist to sneak in there and tamper with an airplanes mechanics or worst plant a bomb.