Quot Open Sesame Quot Opens Quot High Tech Quot Cockpit Doors

The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Glitch forces fix to cockpit doors

Well, “Open Sesame” works if you say it through a nearby walkie-talkie:

For more than two years, U.S. airplane passengers have flown more securely because high-tech cockpit doors created a barrier to prevent a repeat of 9/11, when terrorists entered the cockpit and commandeered four planes.

But, the doors were not foolproof.

In December 2003, a Northwest Airlines maintenance mechanic inside an Airbus A330 jet on the ground in Minneapolis pushed the microphone button to talk into his handheld radio. Though he hadn’t touched the cockpit door, he heard the sound of its lock operating.

So, other on-board avionics and electronics has to meet strict EMI standards to get on an airplane, but not the new cockpit doors??? Let me guess, the Bush Administration and Congress exempted this new equipment from typical safety and other regulations after 9-11 since those aren’t important when there are terrorists out there?