Do pilots carry guns now?

A year after 9/11, the Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act (49 U.S.C. 44921) was passed, allowing US pilots - working for US airlines - to carry pistols in the cockpit. The first class of Federal Flight Deck Officers, as the armed flight crew are known, graduated in April 2003. Classes have run ever since.



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USAF fighter pilots typically carry the standard 9mm Beretta with extra magazines. The pistol is holstered on your survival vest with a round chambered and the safety off. This is a trade-off between safety and accessibility.

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In the event of a hijacking, the pilot should divert and land the aircraft at the nearest suitable airport, where controllers can prioritize its landing and provide necessary assistance.

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The unit must declare weapons and ammunition to the aircraft operator. Weapons must be unloaded. Weapons must be collectively secured in a crate and banded or individually locked in a hard-sided case.

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Pan Am Flight 1736 and KLM Flight 4805 On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport), on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The crash killed 583 people, making it the deadliest accident in aviation history.

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KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, March 27, 1977 This crash remains the deadliest ever, claiming the lives of 583 people when two 747s collided on a foggy runway on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

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