Texas plane crash reveals gap in US aviation security

"It's a big gap," said R. William Johnstone, an aviation security consultant and former staff member of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks. "It wouldn't take much, even a minor incident involving two simultaneously attacking planes, to inflict enough damage to set off alarm bells and do some serious harm to the economy and national psyche."

On Thursday, a Texas man, Joe Stack furious with the IRS flew his single-engine plane into an Internal Revenue Service office building in Austin. One person inside the building was killed in addition to the pilot.

Pilots at the Georgetown Municipal Airport where Stack had entered hours before the crash, are not subject to baggage checks, metal detector scans or pat-downs. And they are usually not required to file flight plans.

While the airlines applied tougher security measures after Sept. 11, the general aviation industry, which includes everything from privately owned propeller-driven planes to large corporate jets, have aggressively fought new measures.

The proposed rules would order operators of medium and large general-aviation aircraft to demonstrate that flight crews' criminal history have been checked. They would also be obliged to verify whether passengers are on the no-fly lists.

"I don't see a gaping security hole here," said Tom Walsh, an aviation security consultant. "In terms of aviation security, there are much bigger fish to fry than worrying about small aircraft."

He said most would-be terrorists would draw the same conclusion — that tiny aircraft don't pack a big enough punch.

Walsh and other general aviation advocates argue that stringent security and bureaucracy would deter recreational fliers and slow down a vibrant, multibillion-dollar general aviation industry, causing economic damage.

Every pilot, from the beginner student to the commercial airline pilot, is checked against the government's terror watchlist. Also, under federal rules imposed after Sept. 11, people enrolling in flight schools must show proof of U.S. citizenship or, if they are foreigners, must undergo a background check.

All pilots of every stripe must have with them every time they fly a medical certificate attesting to their health. The certificate is based on a physical exam, but the application form also includes questions about the pilot's mental health.  Beyond that, however, most security measures at general aviation airports are voluntary.