TOPICS
TOPICS
General aviation presents limited security threat, IG finds
The Homeland Security Department's inspector general said Wednesday the national security threat posed by general aviation is "limited and mostly hypothetical."
General aviation accounts for 77 percent of all domestic flights and includes air cargo transport, emergency medical flight operations, flight school training, and corporate and private aviation.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, asked the IG to investigate after a Houston television station alleged "security breaches" occurred at three local airports when reporters were able to approach airfields or aircraft without identifying themselves.
In a direct reference to the television report, titled, "Is Houston a Sitting Duck for Terrorism?" the watchdog's report contains a section titled "Houston Is Not a 'Sitting Duck for Terrorism.' "
"We reviewed the allegations and determined that they were not compelling," wrote Homeland Security IG Richard Skinner. Reporters were unaware of some passive security and monitoring measures the airports had taken, such as 24-hour video surveillance, locked or disabled planes, and controlled fuel access.
Guidelines and alerts the Transportation Security Administration issued, "coupled with voluntary measures taken by owners and operators of aircraft and facilities, provide baseline security for aircraft based at general aviation sites," Skinner wrote.
Besides the three Houston-area airports approached by the television reporters, the IG's staff visited a number of large and small, public and privately owned general aviation facilities in metropolitan areas where people could be at risk in the event of a terrorist attack launched from the airports.
The IG noted TSA has tailored its security strategy to the range of airfield environments and classes of aircraft and operators, rather than introducing overly broad regulations that are costly to implement. The agency also analyzes credible intelligence information to prioritize existing threats and identify practical, targeted measures to reduce risks in the aviation sector.
"Although [TSA's Office of Intelligence] has identified potential threats, it has concluded that most [general aviation] aircraft are too light to inflict significant damage, and has not identified specific imminent threats from [general aviation] aircraft," the IG stated.
"Significant regulation of the industry would require considerable federal funding," Skinner added.
The watchdog did not make any recommendations to TSA, and agency officials did not submit formal comments in response to the report.
"The current status of [general aviation] operations does not present a serious homeland security vulnerability requiring TSA to increase regulatory oversight of the industry," the IG concluded.
COMMENTS
- Terrorists will usually take the easy path to executing their operations. A small GA aircraft, loaded with explosives, can be flown into vulnarable infracture venues and do great damage. Weaponized chemeical and biological agents, in relatively small quantities, are also a significant threat. It only takes one plane.... We must maintain the most affordable and reasonable security systems, but also must acknowlege that the terrorists (domestic or foreign0 can be successful....Consequence management needs to be more in focus. Stuart Posted July 3, 2009 10:53 AM
- I worked for the TSA for six years, and left to form a GA security surveillance company for the aerial monitoring and protection of critical infrastructure. TSA's constantly morphing focus (technology and proceedures)reflects the political correctness of bureaucrats attempting to justify their existence. Rather than concentrating efforts on real threats by profiling and monitoring known suspects, they insist on treating everyone as being an "equal threat." Thus the attempt to link GA to a possible 9/11 style attack which, on its face, is absurd. TSA is lead by Law Enforcement, not transportation, specialists. Bruce Seibert Posted June 30, 2009 11:42 AM
- As a corporate executive protection officer here in Houston, Texas (20 + years) I can say from first hand experience that the Federal Government is meddling in area that needs no meddling. Private air terminals/ ramp access via these terminals are sufficently secured. Besides the aircraft are kept locked and most of the time are inside secured hangars, and with various (very effective)security measures in-place. A terrorist(s) does not need to access airport property to create chaos and mayhem, that can be achieved from a very safe distance, and in a variety of ways....come-on guys wake-up! Basilio Reyes Jr Posted June 28, 2009 11:00 AM
