A mantrap, as used in most banks these days, 2 successive doors where only one of them is possible to be open at any given time, would allow access to a cockpit and provide easy elimination of a single door being breeched into the aircraft cabin. As the space between the doors would be small, there would not be enough room to ram the second door in attempt to force it. This would not be very expensive to accomodate nor install.
-- doctorbill, Sep 28 2006

In fact, the mantrap could also be configured to act like a trash compactor if an intruder got past the first door.
-- doctorbill, Sep 28 2006


//there would not be enough room to ram the second door in attempt to force it//

Could said terrorists not just jam the first door open and take a run up using food trolley/flight attendant as a battering ram to force the second door open?
-- wongmeister, Sep 29 2006


How many first class passengers would the hijackers have to kill before the pilots let them in?
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 29 2006


I'm surprised that I haven't seen planes converted to have a seperate outside door for the cockpit crew. That would pretty much prevent hijack by passengers as the only way onto the cockpit (not requiring a cutting torch) would be external to the aircraft.
-- st3f, Sep 29 2006


//How many first class passengers would the hijackers have to kill before the pilots let them in?// Probably all of them.
-- zigness, Sep 29 2006


//I'm surprised that I haven't seen planes converted to have a seperate outside door for the cockpit crew. That would pretty much prevent hijack by passengers as the only way onto the cockpit (not requiring a cutting torch) would be external to the aircraft.//

There are aircraft with crew doors. However, the crew needs to have access to the whole cabin to ensure safety.
-- zigness, Sep 29 2006


//Could said terrorists not just jam the first door open and take a run up using food trolley/flight attendant as a battering ram to force the second door open?//
Perhaps it could be a mantrap with dogleg.
-- ldischler, Sep 29 2006


I think it's a great idea, but the truth of the matter is that it's not cost efficient to build devices such as these. Terrorism just isn't that big a threat.
-- zen_tom, Sep 29 2006


And most hijackings are not of the "Fly the plane into a building" variety. They are usually of the "Take this bus to Cuba!" category.

Also access to the cockpit is optional in a hijacking. You threaten passengers or flight attendents and convince the pilot to do what you want.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 29 2006


Has no one here seen 'Snakes On A Plane'? Sometimes you NEED to break into the cockpit. +
-- Noexit, Sep 29 2006


Why would I need to watch Snakes on a Plane? I have read the title, I think that about covers it.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 29 2006


//There are aircraft with crew doors. However, the crew needs to have access to the whole cabin to ensure safety.//

Why would the flight crew need to have access to the passenger cabin at all? Flight attendants can be trained to handle any in-flight emergency, leaving the flight crew to focus specifically on the job of flying the aircraft. Eliminate the flight deck/cabin door altogether and provide a separate external access door for the pilots. In fact, "harden" the bulkhead separating the flight deck from the passenger cabin, make it impervious to bullets and shrapnel. Provide the flight crew with an independant environmental system to protect them from gas or biological attacks; furthermore, in this age of fly-by-wire, it will eventually be possible to remove the pilots from the aircraft entirely.
-- whlanteigne, Sep 30 2006


This trap could be collapsed so as not to take up space while plane is boarded. Perhaps expanding when the landing gear is stowed for flight. That would allow retrofitting to existing planes.
-- popbottle, Aug 24 2014


//They are usually of the "Take this bus to Cuba!" category.//

It would save a lot of time and effort if they just hijacked one of the many flights already going to cuba.
-- bs0u0155, Aug 24 2014



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