Back to Squawk list
  • 17

Pilot arrested for having a loaded .357 in his bag

Soumis
 
A Piedmont Airlines pilot was arrested today at Buffalo Niagara Airport after a TSA agent saw what turned out to be loaded .357 in the Pilots bag at the security checkpoint. The Pilot was arrested and has been charged with unlawful possession of a concealed firearm and attempting to bring a handgun on a plane. (news.wbfo.org) Plus d'info...

Sort type: [Top] [Newest]


Dubslow
Dubslow 15
"The U.S. Attorney's Office says it believes Dieter, 52, has been traveling with the gun since Wednesday, during which time he has piloted seven flights. "

If no one noticed it the first 7 flights, and nothing had happened, he should be set free just because the TSA is so damn pathetic. (Props to the agent who [i]did[/i] actually find it, you seem to be the only one doing your job.)
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 6
He knows the rules, and he had to have known it was in his bag having flown 7 prior flights. He sounds like a loose cannon. Also the 7 prior agents should be held accountable just like him.
99NY
99NY 2
Agreed. Thats one way to slap the TSA into paying attention.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 5
What the hell is wrong with this guy? Yes, he should be allowed to carry but only after going through the FFDO (federal flight deck officer) program. They need to be thoroughly evaluated so we dont have any whack jobs, like the jetBlue pilot in Amarillo, packing heat on the plane.
sparkie624
sparkie624 1
I am not sure, but I think he does.
JD345
JD345 10
Am I the only one who isn't okay with the idea that this guy could get up to 10 years and up to a $250,000 fine?
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 3
Im good with the fine. His arrogance earned him that. As far as any criminal negligence goes, that should fall back on the TSA agents who let the gun through the first seven times.

DashTrash
DashTrash 1
How exactly is he arrogant? I know this captain. I'm quite sure he didn't wake up one morning and say "I'm going to carry my gun to work today". It was a mistake.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 1
Once is a mistake. Eight times is dumbass. Congratulations, you know a dumbass.
sfjasper
Steve Jasper 1
It's better to let people think your a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

NOW EVERYONE KNOWS YOU.
STEELJAW
STEELJAW 1
Now, Now gentlemen, let's be nice and professional. However, I must agree with Christ Donawho on this one.One time is a mistake. If it happend more than one time, it was a DUMB mistake.I'm sure at some point he must have known the gun was there. A .357 is a hard gun to hide. Maybe he had a cloaking device attached to the gun???? :)
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 1
This happens a lot more than the media reports (passengers usually). Yes, it is a dumbass moment. Everyone laughed at Barry Switzer for doing, plus he coached at OU, overqualifying him as dumbass.

Same with gear-up landings. Everyone knows better and you're a dumbass if you've ever done it.

You can take up for this knothead all you want. Just hope it doesn't rub off on you.
DashTrash
DashTrash 1
Yes. I will take up for him. He earned my respect. He made a mistake, not 7 mistakes as you and the media see it. It was a multi day trip. Had he gone home, unpacked, then repacked with the gun each time, I wouldn't be going to bat for him. Not the case though. No cloaking device required either. Wouldn't be needed.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 1
He should have joined the FFDO program or is it not possible to secure the firearm on his aircraft type?
DashTrash
DashTrash 1
Any 121 pilot can apply for FFDO training. I don't believe he intended to carry his firearm on the aircraft however. This has happened before. It shouldn't but it does. I've gone to work with my knife in my pocket before. Certainly not a firearm, but illegal nonetheless.

There has also been at least one angry wife who put a gun in her husbands bag. A criminal record does a lot of damage to a custody hearing. I'm not at all saying that's what happened here, but there are a few possibilities on why it was there.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 1
First offenders should be ok. I know a chiropractor in Seattle who did this. He got off, no conviction on record as a first offender.

And yes, I called him a dumbass too....lol
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 1
Prosecutor told him this happens a lot more than the public knows. At least twice a month for just Seattle. Take that number to a national level and this is almost jaywalking.
STEELJAW
STEELJAW 1
Speaking on angry wives: A few years ago, a couple with their kids came thru JAN heading to Disney World and the husband's bag had a gun in it. He also had a felony an was on probation. He didn't make it to Mickey Mouse Land. He didn't know the gun was there because his wife packed his bag. While the police were arresting him the wife and kids headed to the gate for the plane with no remorse or regret.All the while the husband was screaming that his wife packed his bag.He went to prison. PACK YOUR OWN BAGS!
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 1
Amazing how they get away with it...
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 1
Even if it wasn't 7 mistakes, but just 2 days, it's impossible not to realise it's in your bag. I would think that the common sense thing to do would be to get it home by alternate means. Sometimes a good intention may not be the prudent one.
I'm just going by what is posted here...
DashTrash
DashTrash 1
Um. He started the trip, day one, flew a few legs, went to the hotel. He flew day 2 of the trip, flew a few more legs bringing the total to 7. He overnighted in BUF, got nailed the next day. Anyone who's flown for an airline will understand how that could happen. I'm not at liberty to spell it out for those who haven't.

Unless he left the sterile area between flights on the first two days of the trip there would be no screening. Passengers don't go through the checkpoint again when connecting flights are involved, we don't go through again between flights.

Say again about the dumbass comment? It was "once". Not seven times as the media would lead you to believe.
STEELJAW
STEELJAW 1
I understand what you are saying, however, he had to get screened on day one to get to the plane and on day two because he went to a hotel at the end of day one. Unless he left his bags on the plane (highly unlikely) he was screended a second time on day two. That sounds like twice that the gun went thru the sterile area. Am I right or is there more to this story?
sparkie624
sparkie624 1
Even if he left the Sterile Area, it could have been in his flight bag. Quite a few stations have a place for crews to store their flight bags overnight in a sterile area.
swolfe8
Scott Wolfe 6
I'd rather let the pilots carry. He probably put it in his bag and forgot about it.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 2
I agree, but only after going through the FFDO program. Remember the crazy jetBlue pilot......
montyw47
John Tyler 1
Who else can carry and KNOW the situation of an Aircraft's status, hijacker, passenger that need subduing, etc. But Feds REFUSE to put a sky marshall on EVERY flight so the flight crew needs to protect themselves. Always lock up the guy who WILL be victim of crimes, and protection is refused and PREVENTED from self defense.
Follow El-AL, train crew in weapons & fighting and/or provide a sky marshall. PROFILE passengers who are likely to cause problems. We can't afford political correctness anymore!
sparkie624
sparkie624 3
I used to work Maint Control for Piedmont. I know this pilot. Good guy. Hate to see this.
DashTrash
DashTrash 1
Same here. I flew with Brett on my first flight after SOE. He is a stand up guy going through a very rough patch in life. This added to it immensely.
sparkie624
sparkie624 1
What base were you out of, and we may have chatted, but I have been gone for a couple of years now.
montyw47
John Tyler 2
I am at a point where my feelings at odd with themselves. #1) Pilots should have the firearm not a "passenger" ;
#2) Where did the pilot's common sense go? He does know the rules/law, no matter how STUPID a law is.

The TSA security hole is so Great is embarrassing them. They want so much power but couldn't find a hand gun 7 TIMES!!!
bosely
Ron Pavone 2
Was he part of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program?
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 2
My guess is NO.
chrisman33
chrisman33 3
Who cares if the pilot was carrying.. its not like he was going to try to gain control of the aircraft or "break" into the cockpit, as a passenger I would feel more comfortable if I knew that the pilot had a weapon. But yes he should have gone through the (FFDO) program.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 1
Go back to Youtube and watch that video of the jetBlue captain freaking out... Then imagine a .357 in his hand while going on his little tirade....

My guess is that's why people care if the pilot was carrying.
sfjasper
Steve Jasper 1
You know you worry too much about it. Think about this. He has all your lives in his hands anyway. If he decides to shoot you it won't be hard to figure out who did it and if he just wanted to take himself out he could take all of you with him anyway. I believe the system stresses everybody out especially the pilots. Leave them alone! They could kill you without a gun shutting off the oxygen at alttitude or let gravity take over. Nobody here's about a Greyhound bus driver with a gun!
JetBlastSST
JetBlastSST 1
you know what before you know it someone will try to sneak an M134 on an airplane. good lord!!!!
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 2
lol - just googled that one... Gatlin.. Nice.
JetBlastSST
JetBlastSST 1
what has this world come to???
STEELJAW
STEELJAW 1
The problem is that pilots and crew on small express jest have to store their bags in the same comparments as the passengers. They are not lock in the copit or store in a locked compartment. If all pilots are allow to carry guns in their bags, then all the bad guys have to do is take a crew members bag and they have a lethal weapon. I find it hard to believe that 7 different Xray operators missed a .357 magnum. That's a big gun on the Xray machine. However, if they did, it's curtains for them. A female was arrested at KJAN last week for having a loaded firearm in her carry on bags.

Se connecter

Vous n'avez pas de compte? Inscrivez-vous maintenant (gratuitement) pour des fonctionnalités personnalisées, des alertes de vols, et plus encore!
Saviez-vous que le suivi des vols FlightAware est soutenu par la publicité ?
Vous pouvez nous aider à garder FlightAware gratuit en autorisant les annonces de FlightAware.com. Nous travaillons dur pour que notre publicité reste pertinente et discrète afin de créer une expérience formidable. Il est facile et rapide de mettre les annonces en liste blanche sur FlightAware ou d’examiner nos comptes premium.
Abandonner