(FD-350): 'D.B. Cooper slipped by - Some airlines don't cooperate in anti-hijacking plan', The Oregonian

(indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.)

The Oregonian Portland, Oregon

Date: 12/13/71, pg. 31 Edition: Author: Editor: Title:

Character: or Classification: Submitting Office: ☐ Being Investigated

/6 4 - 1/ Sub I [illegible handwriting]

DB Cooper-22990

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D.B. Cooper slipped by Some airlines don't cooperate in anti-hijacking plan By LEVERETT RICHARDS

THE federal anti-hijacking program has apparently been effective in screening out potential hijackers and other criminals in its first year of oper- ation.

But not all airlines are cooperating in the program — including one of the eight passenger lines serving Portland — points out Jay Adsen, regional chief of the air transportation se- curity division of the Federal Avia- tion Administration.

Adsen stated po- sitively that if the screening system had been used by Northwest Airlines personnel on pas- sengers boarding their Flight 305 in Portland the night of Wednesday, Nov. 24, the ill-famed $200,000 hijacker would have been caught.

Northwest Airlines does not have a magnetometer in Portland to detect concealed weapons on passengers. Ter- minal personnel were too busy with ther flights to screen passengers board- ing the Boeing 727 — including one D.B. Cooper who bought a ticket at the terminal and delivered his ticket stub at the boarding door. Temporary facili- ties used during construction added to Northwest's problems that night, Port- land managers explain.

Northwest's terminal personnel are trained in the screening procedures and do use them under normal condi- tions, however, NWA spokesmen em- phasized.

All airlines at Portland either own magnetometers or share them with oth- er airlines, but the role of the magnetic detector has been greatly over-empha- sized, Adsen said.

"Generally, the magnetometer is used as a final step to confirm or dis- prove doubts about a passenger," Ad- sen said.

The system depends primarily upon training of airline personnel and secur- ity agents to recognize certain traits typical of potential hijackers.

This "behavioral profile," worked out by the FBI and specialized psychol- ogists, is a well-kept secret.

"If a potential hijacker knew what we were looking for he would figure out a way to beat the system," Adsen ex- plained.

But it works, Adsen says, pointing to the record. In the month of October — a dull month — 103 "incidents" were recorded at the eight airports in the western region.

Some 36 incidents were related to po- tential hijackings; 25 led to arrests for possession of narcotics, mostly mari- juana; 18 aliens were arrested for ille- gal entry; 4 wanted men were arrest- ed.

Of the 36 incidents involving airline offenses, 10 involved bomb threats; were arrested for trying to board a[illegible] airline carrying a concealed weapon — a federal misdemeanor; one was ar- rested for "threatening use of a weap- on;" 3 for threatening air piracy; 4 for making false statements regarding air piracy; 10 for creating disturbances involving airline personnel.

More than 1,000 arrests were made nationally, more than 400 for posses- sion of drugs, about 300 for possession of firearms.

Portland reported four incidents in October; including two wanted men ar- rested; one alien charged with illegal entry; and one man for creating a dis- turbance. Twenty-eight arrests have been made since the program started late in Martin Harvey Baynes, Port-

land security chief, reports. November figures are not available, but Michael McGetligan, 811 E. Burn- side, was arrested Dec. 1 and charged with "possession of a concealed weap- on while attempting to board an air- plane."

Western Airlines personnel used the profile system to put the finger on him as he approached the boarding gate. Western isn't telling how they spotted him. A December hearing on his case has been set in U.S. District Court.

The airlines, treasury and [guess: defense] departments coo[perate] [illegible] [illegible] prev[ent] hij[acking] [guess: division] of the FAA [illegible] funds out of its $30 [illegible] budget to pay [illegible] custom[s] security [illegible] clally to [illegible]

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pating airlines provide transportation for the caps, who are commonly called sky marshals.

The CSO's spend about a third of their time in uniform as regular cus- toms officers patrolling the air termi- nal, searching the hand luggage of pas- sengers boarding international flights, and standing by to fake over questioning of any passenger who seems to fit the behavioral profile of a potential hijacker.

The rest of their time is spent in ci- vilian clothes flying as sky marshals aboard certain flights. The sky mar- shals are introduced to the flight crews and are known to the stewardesses, Ad- sen explained.

They are rotated between airports to avoid recognition. Their flight assign- ments come from the Seattle office.

The airlines usually buy their own magnetometers, which now cost about $900 each, Adsen said. But a few air- port operators provide magnetometers and the FAA has a few which it can rush to any airport which has a special security problem -- like Portland dur- ing President Nixon's visit Sept. 25.

A second generation magnetometer which can pinpoint the location of a weapon as a passenger passes through the boarding gate is now being tested in the East -- but will be about three times as expensive as today's magneto- meters, Adsen said.

To provide a magnetometer for ev- ery boarding gate even at major air- ports would be prohibitely expensive and probably not worth the cost, Ade- sen [said]. Neither can the FAA ex- [pect] a CSO sky marshal for flight. [illegible] are more cost-[effective] [illegible] out. But the FA[A] [guess: authority] to compel all Some cooperate [guess: program] but not with [illegible] [guess: participate] at all

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months has insisted that the FAA put teeth in its security program and the FAA now proposes to do just that.

If there is not too much industry objection, the FAA proposes to put a

[illegible block - appears to be a boxed section or sign]

Sign says it all

new rule into effect after Jan. 1 giving the FAA authority to order airlines to participate in the [illegible] program in the name of safe[ty] [illegible] crews and the flying public.

Adsen, with 15 [years] [guess: experience] in the security [illegible] not agree will [guess: recent] [illegible] 3. Cooper as a hero [illegible] succeeded in [guess: boating] "He [illegible] of [guess: gray] matter in [illegible] But [illegible] ha's a [illegible] [illegible] hang[ing] [illegible] [illegible] [guess: den] S[illegible]

[illegible] all out [illegible] hands. [illegible] real[ly] [illegible] [guess: last]

hero [illegible] [guess: back]

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DB Cooper-22991