[Infowarrior] - Pilot's gun discharges on US Airways flight

[Richard Forno]

http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-032308-sjf-gunonplane.1c4ca
bd1.html

Pilot's gun discharges on US Airways flight

5:39 PM

05:32 PM EDT on Sunday, March 23, 2008

By DIANA RUGG / WCNC
E-mail Diana: DRugg at wcnc.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- A US Airways pilot¹s gun accidentally discharged during a
flight from Denver to Charlotte Saturday, according to as statement released
by the airline. The statement said the discharge happened on Flight 1536,
which left Denver at approximately 6:45am and arrived in Charlotte at
approximately 11:51am. The Airbus A319 plane landed safely and none of the
flight¹s 124 passengers or five crew members was injured, according to the
statement. It was a full flight. And airline spokeswoman said the plane has
been taken out of service to make sure it is safe to return to flight. A
Transportation Safety Administration spokeswoman reached by WCNC Sunday said
the pilot is part of TSA¹s Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program, which
trains pilots to carry guns on flights. Andrea McCauley said the gun
discharged in the cockpit, but she could not release how the gun was being
transported at the time. She did not release the pilot¹s name, but said he
was authorized to carry the weapon and was last requalified in the FFDO
program last November. A statement from TSA said the airplane was never in
danger, and the TSA and the Federal Air Marshals Service are investigating
the incident. WCNC reporter Diana Rugg is following up on this story. If you
or someone you know were on that flight, please e-mail her at
drugg at wcnc.com.