| Remote controlled airliners may stop suicide hijackers |
New technologies which will allow a pilot on the ground to retake control of a hijacked aircraft may prevent future suicide attacks.
The US military are developing dozens of spy planes which can be safely piloted miles away from the front line.
Some experts say the technology could be adapted to commercial aircraft for use in an emergency.
Remotely piloted vehicles, or RPVs, and autopilots which can land aircraft without human help are current technologies which might have helped foil the suicide attacks on New York and Washington.
Dr Simon Bennett, an expert in aviation safety and disaster management, at the University of Leicester's Scarman Centre, says such hi-tech systems would be a useful second line of defence.
He says: "I don't think you should replace pilots but perhaps these technologies could be used as a safety net if you were confident a plane had been hijacked.
"These systems could take the hijackers out of the control loop. They would still be sat at the console making inputs but the aircraft would be being piloted from the ground."
These systems would need to be secure and hacker-proof, but Dr Bennett says: "This technology exists in the military to such an extent they are confident enough to use it in the field. Maybe a commercial version could be looked at."
Story filed: 13:45 Thursday 20th September 2001
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