Passenger attempts to enter coughpit on MH128

[mrs.dr.ron]

...................... Be a pretty silly look if the device had been real.

If the device was real, there wouldn't be enough fans for the cough to hit.

 

[Pushka]

A lot of what the Commissioner said did not make sense. But DIYDDIYD

Did captain or AFP decide to keep passengers on board?

Who has authority once the plane has landed and the security call is made? Can't imagine it is still with the Captain as their authority would lapse when security was called in? Too many cooks etc?

I am betting this is the death nell for large devices etc as hand luggage

 

[casanovawa]

Probably a large slice of never thought it would happen, go a bit through the motions in planning, enacting procedures then the real thing happens and it all goes to cough...

As to the large devices, there's always those who jump straight to over reaction, hopefully a few people with common sense restrain them...

 

[Pushka]

As to the large devices, there's always those who jump straight to over reaction, hopefully a few people with common sense restrain them...

Well, they can do anything they want in the name of 'security' and there's nothing we can do.

 

[Quickstatus]

Who has authority once the plane has landed and the security call is made? Can't imagine it is still with the Captain as their authority would lapse when security was called in? Too many cooks etc?

I am betting this is the death nell for large devices etc as hand luggage

It can be a big decision for the captain to order a slide evac.
I'm sure there are potential consequences that could make a captain think twice.
However captain while still in the left seat will have final call irrespective of what others say - the quid pro quo is that the captain then also carries the can.

Slide evacuation = injuries and aircraft grounded until slides are re installed might take days = $$$$ for airline = captain will have to justify why = might be criticised for being too hasty etc etc. depending on airline culture

DIYDDIYD

 

[jb747]

Whilst you continue to taxi, open a rear door, and drop it out. With perp as well if you like. If it's a bomb, better out than in. If it isn't, then who cares.

An evacuation IS going to break some bones. It's not something you should have to be considering. Stairs should have been provided ASAP. The police can sort who is who out later. This is like having a bomb scare in a building, and keeping everyone inside. Somehow I'll bet nobody does that.

 

[whatmeworry]

So it took SOG 90 minutes? I have seen them at protests where the majority of the people were over 60 years old.

Are these guys on standby at their HQ or do they get a call and come in? Were they transported by VicPol airwing to MEL?

What does this say to other potential perps? Thankfully their aren't many semi-automatic weapons in the community but improvised devices can still do a lot damage.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'll ask a pilot re who retains 'control' of the aircraft when its on the ground. I suspect it will be whoever has the guns!

 

[jb747]

I'll ask a pilot re who retains 'control' of the aircraft when its on the ground. I suspect it will be whoever has the guns!

Yes, but they didn't turn up for a while....

 

[Melburnian1]

...I'd have to say I do not understand the logic of keeping pax on board if you have any concerns about a possible device. Parking remotely is the norm. Presumably the stairs were not connected to stop passengers getting off. Be a pretty silly look if the device had been real.

Great post.

Apparently there is a designated area, well away from the terminals and also any other parked aircraft where these incidents are meant to be sorted out.

As a technical or logistical question, is a set of stairs kept permanently out in the open near there, properly secured against wind (and slowly rusting) or would these have to be transported from near a gate at one of the terminals, or, perhaps more likely, one of the other 'remote stands' where at least during daylight hours and the early to mid evening in MEL there are usually international aircraft stabled if I recall?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Sorry, but despite what the police are stating, what they are saying simply does not add up.

They were actively speaking with the passengers and so knew that all was under control, even if there was the possibility of a second bomb, or even other possible "terrorists" who were dormant and waiting to act.
I can only assume that they were also actively speaking with the crew via normal comms.

So I cannot imagine a scenario where it would not make sense to put at least one policeman, or a small team, on board to assess the situation.

Surely the possible extra risk to one policeman would not outweigh the possible immediate risk to a plane full of people.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I am betting this is the death nell for large devices etc as hand luggage

Perhaps.

But logically there is no reason. One could easily have a small bag or box that you could also strap to your chest and claim it is a bomb.

 

[Pushka]

Surely the possible extra risk to one policeman would not outweigh the possible immediate risk to a plane full of people.

I recall a police spokesperson saying exactly that - officially they will not risk a police officer as a priority call over anyone else. It really surprised me.

Perhaps.

But logically there is no reason. One could easily have a small bag or box that you could also strap to your chest and claim it is a bomb.

Logic doesn't always come into it. In the name of security.

 

[dajop]

It seems like to me that this madman might have done everyone a favour, testing out the preparedness to deal with such incidents (provided of course learnings from the incident handling are taken on board and improvements made).

 

[jb747]

You should always carry your own bomb. The chances of there being two are SFA.

 

[Melburnian1]

A 'Herald Sun' report suggests that the police took 54 minutes from arrival at the airport to boarding the plane.

Given passenger claims of 'police not entering the plane until 90 minutes since the gent was detained', this means by extension that it took about 36 minutes from the specialist police's headquarters (including kitting up) to reach the tarmac, which sounds about right.

'HS' also claims that there were 337 passengers on board but isn't the seating capacity of an MH A333: J 36 Y247 = 283?

 

[mannej]

Passengers or people on board? Don't forget the crew in this number and any lap infants not needing a seat (not that I know how many people were on board this flight).

 

[Happy Trails]

Some similarities to this event a few years ago.

Soft-drink ‘bomb’ a fizzer as police admit flight crew misread label - AviationEnglish.com

The plane was carrying 181 passengers and 13 crew when it landed safely at 2.55pm yesterday and taxied to a remote part of the airfield. Yesterday afternoon, Victoria Police Superintendent Peter O’Neill said the threat “was enough to cause the captain to take the action to abort the flight”.

The plane was met by a full response from airport firefighters, with 13 appliance trucks at the end of the runway. Passengers were seen leaving the aircraft about half an hour after it landed and were taken to a secure part of the international terminal where police questioned them.

“We couldn’t discount anybody on the plane until we were satisfied that they weren’t involved,” Superintendent O’Neill said.

One person said passengers had been stuck on the plane for an extra 45 minutes after it was parked away from the main terminal because mobile stairs sent to the site were the wrong height

 

[Skyring]

Couldn't confirm whether or not there might be another hidden bad guy.
Was there a bomb or not

This explains every delay on every flight.

 

[JessicaTam]

...

Surely the possible extra risk to one policeman would not outweigh the possible immediate risk to a plane full of people.

At least you are not willing to risk a police woman.