How safe are cockpits? Aviation experts weigh in after security scare on board Horizon Air flight

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

Aviation experts say the incident in which an off-duty pilot tried to disable a jetliner in midflight renews questions about the threat posed by insiders — airline workers who have special access to places where passengers can’t go. Incidents like the one Sunday on a Horizon Air flight on the West Coast are very rare. Disaster was averted when the captain and first officer subdued the off-duty pilot, who was riding in a jump seat inside the cockpit. Aviation experts say the incident highlights the difficulty that airlines face in identifying employees who clear federal background checks but might present a security threat.