Planes and bombs – Bomb on board! What to do, flight crew?
What if there is a bomb? This is more related to the cabin crew, since the bombs are usually in the cabin.
To find a bomb, a quest called the Sterile Search Method must first be performed. Everything must be searched. Cabin crew have specific instructions on how to do this. They usually start by searching the kitchen and bathrooms, bottom to top, left to right. Passengers will move about while cabin crew continue their search of seats, overhead bins, etc. If nothing has been found in a particular area, that area is now barren. If a suspicious object has been found. DO NOT TOUCH IT. Ask passengers to identify the item. If you do not identify yourself, the cabin crew must inform the flight crew. But the search does not end here, there may be more items on the plane. Also, don’t forget to check other crew members and their bags.
So the suspicious object is on board and it was found!
– Do not touch it.
– Inform the rest of the cabin crew and flight crew. Give a detailed description.
– If possible, send/show a digital photo to the flight crew.
– Move passengers away from the object.
– Now here is the great part of the flight crew. They have to make a decision to keep the object in place or move it to a location called a ‘safe bomb location/lower risk bomb location’.
Commercial airliners these days have something called ‘safe bomb placement/lower risk bomb placement’. This is the place where, if the bomb exploded, it would create the least amount of damage compared to the rest of the aircraft. For this example, we will use gate R2. This is the door in the back, on the right hand side (facing the flight deck/front).
Preparation of the minimum risk bomb site EXAMPLE.
– Disassemble the slider
– Remove the safety equipment. O2 bottles, fire extinguishers and others. These could become a projectile in the event of an explosion.
– Empty 2 carts and place them flat on the ground, against the door.
– Fill the area with cushions, coats (ask passengers, they’ll be happy to help prevent a detonation. Believe me, they will) and other soft materials. Do this at window height.
– Place the object on top of it (how to move the object is described below)
– Cover it with plastic to keep it dry.
– Cover it with a layer of moistened material.
– Continue to cover it with soft objects.
– Move passengers forward. People prefer to get away from the bomb than to sit next to it.
– Move forward, behind the last row of passengers.
move the object
This is the most complicated and risky thing cabin crew can do. For pilots or other cabin crew, make sure those moving the object are not overly stressed and mentally capable of doing so. First, slide a card under the object if it is equipped with an anti-lift device. Keep the bomb in the same attitude in which it was found. Don’t turn it over, don’t throw it at someone else. One will carry the object, one will walk in front and the other behind. This is to avoid any interference from passengers. Move it to the lowest risk bomb location as described above.
Now it’s up to the flight crew.
Basically you declare an emergency, call 7700, call operations control, descend as soon as possible to depressurize the plane (this prevents detonation in the event of a pressurized bomb), and find a suitable place to land. A large airport would be best, as they probably have the proper facilities to deal with a bomb. But, landing as soon as possible is the priority.