{"id":12833,"date":"2021-04-29T08:54:59","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T12:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=12833"},"modified":"2021-05-04T07:20:42","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T11:20:42","slug":"bomb-onboard-do-you-know-your-procedures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/bomb-onboard-do-you-know-your-procedures\/","title":{"rendered":"Bomb Onboard: Do you know your procedures?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Airport security means the threat of a bomb onboard is greatly reduced. But if you do receive a bomb threat, or find a suspicious package onboard, what procedure does your operator have in place for you to follow?<\/p>\n

How much risk is there?<\/h4>\n

You have probably all heard the Shoe Bomber attempt from 2001<\/a>. This was thwarted by some brave passengers and crew, and also the fact the bomber had sweaty feet – his swamp foot dampened the trigger preventing it from igniting.<\/p>\n

In 2016, an aircraft made an emergency at HCMM\/Mogadishu airport<\/strong> after a bomb exploded onboard. The bomb was likely brought on concealed within a laptop. This flight was lucky though – the impact of the bomb was minimal, limited because the bomb exploded while the aircraft was at a lower altitude (11,000ft).<\/p>\n

In 2020 a European airline found a \u2018bomb note\u2019 onboard.<\/a> The flight was escorted to a safe landing and passengers disembarked without incident.<\/p>\n

So bomb threats, and attempted bombings, do occur, and while security is getting better and better<\/strong>, unfortunately terrorists are getting more creative in finding ways to bring items on board. The attempts are not always aimed at causing destruction either – threats alone cause a huge amount of disruption to operations<\/strong>. So understanding how to assess the risk and credibility of a threat is as important as knowing how to deal with a possible explosive device if one is found onboard.<\/p>\n

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Th shoe bomber was thwarted by his own sweaty feet<\/p><\/div>\n

Is the threat credible?<\/h4>\n

Threats received regarding an aircraft need to be assessed, and the credibility determined.<\/strong> The threat classification will generally be based around how specific the threat is. Most operators will have a procedure in place for determining this, and probably take into account something along the following lines:<\/p>\n

If a threat mentions a specific target<\/strong>, or is made by a known terrorist organization<\/strong> and is deemed credible<\/strong> then this is going to be considered more serious. Often these are referred to as a\u00a0red <\/strong>threat.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, a threat which is vague, general, and doesn\u2019t specify targets<\/strong> might be considered less credible. A hand scribbled note in the toilet for example. This would be categorized as a\u00a0green\u00a0<\/strong>threat.<\/p>\n

However, regardless of the assessed credibility, a bomb threat has to be taken seriously and treated as a genuine situation.<\/p>\n

If you are on the ground<\/h4>\n

The simplest and safest option if you are on the ground is to disembark and carry out a full search<\/strong> of the aircraft. It might be a hassle and result in some big delays, but the possible alternative is much worse.<\/p>\n

A serious threat may require a precautionary disembarkation<\/strong> – which will result in offloading the passengers as quickly and as safely as possible.\u00a0This creates a\u00a0risk to safety in\u00a0itself, and generally the credibility of the threat will be communicated to the crew so that they can judge the risk of waiting (for steps) versus disembarking immediately to clear the aircraft (but have\u00a0passengers hurling themselves towards the tarmac).<\/span><\/p>\n

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His face is the red threat apparently<\/p><\/div>\n

If you are in flight<\/h4>\n

If a threat is received against your aircraft while in flight, carry out a search checking those places which are often overlooked during security checks on the ground, but where an article might easily be concealed<\/strong> – toilets, galleys, jump seats, stowage areas, closets etc. Try and do it discreetly to avoid unnecessary worry<\/strong> for passengers.<\/p>\n

If an article is found, do not move it or touch it.<\/strong> Move passengers away from the immediate area, and remove any flammable items and have fire extinguishers ready in case. A PA asking for anyone onboard with ‘BD or EOD experience’<\/strong> might help – these are terms which experts will recognize without saying \u201cHey, passengers, is there a bomb <\/b>expert onboard?\u201d<\/p>\n

Not terrifying your passengers is probably a good call, but ensuring they are following your crew\u2019s orders, and that they are prepared for the situation on the ground, is also necessary. This means providing them with clear information, but without dramatizing the situation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLadies and Gentlemen, we have received a message that a threat has been made against one of our aircraft\/an aircraft in this airspace. These threats do happen, however, until we can establish how credible it is, we will take all possible precautions and therefore intend to land at\u2026 in\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

If you find a suspicious article<\/h4>\n

Most manufacturers provide checklists for bomb-on-board<\/strong> situations. Know where this is, and understand what it says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few measures you might want to consider:<\/p>\n