Stories
Cockpit Security: The Crashes That Shaped Aviation's Two-Person Rule
- •The alleged attack on a Flydubai captain highlights the risk of threats originating from within the cockpit, a concern previously raised by two deadly crashes.
- •EgyptAir Flight 990 (1999) involved a relief first officer's control inputs leading to a crash, though the reason for his actions remained disputed between US and Egyptian investigators.
- •The 9/11 attacks led to reinforced cockpit doors, but this created a new vulnerability: a pilot alone inside could prevent re-entry, as tragically demonstrated by Germanwings Flight 9525.
- •Germanwings Flight 9525 (2015) crashed after co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, with a history of severe depression, deliberately locked the captain out and initiated a descent, killing all 150 aboard.
- •The Germanwings crash prompted the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to recommend a "two-person rule" in the cockpit, ensuring another authorized crew member is present if a pilot leaves, though this rule has seen revisions over time.
Key Questions Answered
The two-person rule gained widespread attention after the March 2015 crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, where the co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit and deliberately flew the aircraft into the French Alps. Although the US already required two crew members on the flight deck, the European Aviation Safety Agency recommended this procedure following the tragedy to ensure a pilot is never left completely alone behind a locked door.
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, airlines strengthened cockpit doors and tightened procedures to prevent hijackers from seizing control. However, this created a new vulnerability: a reinforced door designed to keep attackers out could also keep a pilot out if the person inside refused to open it.
The US NTSB concluded that the 1999 crash resulted from the relief first officer's flight control inputs after he was left alone in the cockpit. Conversely, Egyptian investigators rejected the suicide theory, arguing that mechanical problems with the Boeing 767's elevator control system caused the tragedy.
