WO2003024795A1

WO2003024795A1 - Anti-hijacking device and method for an aircraft

Info

Publication number: WO2003024795A1
Application number: PCT/FR2002/003102
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michel Camus
Original assignee: M2Ct (Sarl)
Priority date: 2001-09-17
Filing date: 2002-09-12
Publication date: 2003-03-27
Also published as: FR2829865A1; FR2829865B1

Abstract

The invention concerns an anti-hijacking device for an aircraft in flight comprising a mechanism for cancelling and restoring flight controls of a hi-jacked aircraft while ensuring the safety flight personnel.

Description

In-flight aircraft hijacking device or method

The invention relates to a flight diversion system and method.

With the previous accidents, particularly in the United States, the hijacking of an airplane can have very serious consequences, especially for populations. Consequences which can prove to be much greater than those of the passengers and the personnel of the plane which compose it and which in themselves are already incomprehensible whatever the reasons.

However, there must be ways to avoid this type of intolerable accident, and that is why we are proposing a form of solution, even if it is only partial, which at least would have the immense advantage of avoiding death. of people on the ground completely foreign to the flight in progress.

In the prior art, the document FR2584842 describes a system for taking control by the control tower of the aircraft in difficulty without taking into account the context where the aircraft is in flight away from its departure base.

In this type of diversion, consideration should be given to the handling by a master unit in flight and then to landing with the appropriate management. As we know, so-called Line airplanes are all or almost now equipped with an A.T.T. ie an All Weather Landing device which allows the aircraft to land alone, without the help of the pilot (s). The aircraft, once on the ground, once passed the blind passage, is then picked up by the pilot or pilots of the aircraft in order to be able to bring it to the desired terminal via the taxi-way which is ordered to it by the airport it just landed on.

It is therefore this device that must be taken advantage of to solve part of the problem.

Each device could be equipped with a special device controlled by a simple command, such as punch or kick for example (more discreet) and which would not require voice or manual coding, which is always problematic to compose. the flight that crashed near Pittsburgh. For security reasons and in order to avoid untimely tripping, we can imagine a double command, namely two feet and or two hands or one of the two components paired with the other version, ie 1 foot + 1 command main command for the order to be executed.

This Punch or Kick command, for example, would be placed on each side of the aircraft, ie accessible for one or the other by the pilot or the Co-pilot with the same effects. In effect when there are hijackers in an airplane they can only enter the cockpit at a time given the small size of the front door. Assuming that the captain is immediately "pointed" by the first pirate, the co-pilot would, in a reflex time, always have the possibility of activating the "device that we will call" aggression rescue device ".

It would in fact be a radio-electric device controlled by a double push button or other ultra-fast electric manipulator to allow the commissioning of the system known as the assault rescue device.

This will neutralize all the commands allowing the directional flight, the engine commands, the speed of the aircraft, the landing gear, which can then only be controlled by a radio signal external to the pirated aircraft.

This device would then have the role of completely eliminating the role of all the flight control devices of the airplane concerned. The control surfaces, spreaders and other engine controls would be irreparably neutralized.

Everything would become ineffective, only the ATT device would remain in service, which would thus take on the "assault assistance" function the controls of the aircraft, to which would be added possibly a "disturbed flight", ie reproducing the conditions of '' a passage in bad weather so as to neutralize the passengers and therefore the pirates being part of it, which on the one hand will be sick therefore more or less inhibited, and on the other hand will no longer be able to move due to its instability, . This “flight under aggression device” would therefore additionally cause the aircraft to slow down to an economical speed, putting external distress signals into service, all possibly concomitant with the triggering of airbags ^®

(registered trademark) back of the seats of the pilots and co-pilots, and or, on the vertical and horizontal walls behind the pilots and co-pilots, these airbags, sufficiently resistant to withstand the impacts of a bullet or other blunt object, permanent or not physically neutralizing the attackers and occupying all or part adjustable or not depending on the number of people normally present in the cockpit so as to further isolate the piloting staff, triggering controlled by contacts such as presence sensors under the seats behind the pilots and co-pilots would allow or not neutralize the corresponding airbags.

It would in fact be a radioelectric device comprising means for triggering at least one neutralizing airbag of the "Airbag ^® " type in the cockpit to neutralize, during its deployment, permanent or not, commanded by said aggression signal, people in particular located in predetermined spaces, for example spaces not occupied by flight personnel. This device will be made in such a way that the neutralizing airbag (s) include (s) at least one envelope resistant to bullet impacts or other blunt instrument.

It is conceivable that in this configuration a special piloting program will have been included in the A.T.T. or other automatic pilot system already present. This would then cause the aircraft to significantly decrease its speed, to fly only rectilinearly, or circularly, at an international international altitude to avoid all accidents and which would be reserved for this purpose only. In addition, this commanded altitude would of course be above the clouds so as to be able to make the aircraft clearly visible from a great distance. . It would then be provided with an external visual device which would allow on the one hand to personalize it as soon as it approaches and on the other hand to verify the stage of the mission of the ATT system.

At the same time, the "aggression rescue device" would signal to the aircraft surveillance services, the air traffic controllers in this case, that the so-called "aggression rescue device" rescue piloting had been activated.

It is in fact a radioelectric device which comprises control means activated by the rise or fall aggression signal at a predetermined altitude of international rescue type, control means activated by the signal aggression of slowing down of the apparatus at a predetermined speed of the economic type, control means activated by the aggression signal of a predetermined trajectory of the straight or circular type. Supplemented by a device whose said trajectory of the first aircraft has a particular profile to reproduce inconvenient conditions of stability to disturb the occupants, in particular the aggressors.

This radioelectric device would be supplemented by means for activating external distress signaling of the first aircraft, activated by the aggression signal, in particular of the external radioelectric, audible or luminous distress signal type, such as an acceleration of the flashes of light caused by the flash tubes at the tip of the wing or at the tail or on and under the aircraft, the exit from the landing gear and / or the lighting of all or part of the landing lights {2 figure 1}

This radioelectric device can be neutralized by another "Master" device {1 figure 1} benefiting from radio commands to neutralize the "Assault relief" device to force the device which has become a Slave, victim of the aggression, to execute the radio orders given by the pilot of the aircraft who became Master However, said master aircraft, or the chosen landing airport. (According to the Master system piloting the slave aircraft at this time) which, if the internal danger of the slave aircraft is totally and definitively eliminated, restore its ability to autonomous piloting of normal flight (assuming that the aggressor (s) have been permanently put out of harm's way for example)

The fact of reducing the speed of the airplane concerned is that on the one hand it would reduce its consumption and could if necessary go to an airport further away than where it would have gone with the amount of fuel normally remaining to it , and, on the other hand, to be able to be taken care of more quickly by another specially equipped device which could bring it to the chosen location. The other device, known as the "Master" device, could for example be equipped with an on-board system which, like airports, would take control of the ATT system of the pirated plane. We can also consider that this type of aircraft is a fighter plane much faster by definition than a plane called "Line", so that could reach it quickly. (In addition, this special device if it fitted airliners could suggest that a second group of hackers, having proceeded differently, could then come to neutralize a second device and render the security of the system ineffective by the very fact that they would then send the slave plane themselves to a building).

The engine controls and control surfaces of the aircraft would then be, by electronic system, synchronized with that of the fighter aircraft type aircraft, for example "or radio-controlled by the latter pilot, and thus we would have a slave aircraft and a master aircraft. .

So that the pilot of the Master aircraft is certain of the proper functioning of the device and to check that he has taken the pirated device in hand, we will then consider a device which will allow, during this takeover, to deliver the external signs " as is "and no longer as a distress signal as they had been previously configured. (flash returned to normal service, landing lights off or landing gear retracted.

The master aircraft would therefore have means for deactivating said external distress signaling activation means controlled by the master unit when it takes control of the first aircraft to visually validate its takeover

The "Master" aircraft would then lead the "slave" aircraft to a designated, specially equipped and cleared airport.

When approaching said airport, where a reception device will have been specially planned, both police and medical, it is then the ATT device of the airport concerned, more powerful, which would take over, and which would somehow cover the signal emitted by the "Master"aircraft;

This radio device of the Master device will be able to return the commands to the "All Weather Landing" device of the airport or aerodrome when approaching the chosen landing field which will then take over automatically or not from the slave device until the aircraft comes to a complete stop.

Triggering the landing gear again or returning the light devices to "normal or differentiated operation", for example, would allow the pilot of the "Master" aircraft to become aware of the "electronic state" of the plane he had in slave and interrupt the electronic piloting communication. This radioelectric device will be produced in such a way that the radio signal emitted by the master aircraft "will be of sufficient and sufficient power to obtain the results necessary for taking over control of the aircraft, but may be automatically or not neutralized when the ATT system of the chosen and approaching airport will be technically capable of ensuring control of the slave aircraft.

This radioelectric device will thus allow the commissioning or stopping of external signals such as notable acceleration of the flashes of the flashing tubes of position, landing gear output, etc. or the reverse according to the previous state chosen by the technical, may allow the pilot of the Master aircraft or another neighboring aircraft to realize the state of takeover or surrender of control of the slave aircraft.

We can also consider that a second military aircraft accompanies the first and that the master flying in front, at a radio distance necessary, the second, further behind (if the pirates detonated the plane in full flight after be aware of their impossibility of carrying out their objective), he could then inform radiophonically and progressively, the pilot of the Master aircraft on the state of the external signs of the slave aircraft therefore allowing him to take the necessary arrangements depending on what is reported to it.

This radio-electric device will be made in such a way that triggering the aggression signal will automatically trigger the triggering of an Air Bag-type device integrated this time in the pilot and co-pilot's file, not deflatable, except for external neutralization maneuver. and puncture-proof, intended on the one hand to neutralize the attacker (s) and on the other hand to further isolate the crews from the device.

We can also imagine that a special device such as a controlled explosive would then, as soon as the aircraft stopped at the end of the runway, open certain access doors, allowing the rapid intervention services that would have gone to the scene to run their device as quickly as possible protection against passengers and on-board personnel of the pirated device.

This radioelectric device would therefore allow the fact of having triggered the aggression signal, as soon as the aircraft is immobilized on the ground, the commissioning of controlled explosives intended to open certain access doors necessary for the services rapid response police.

However, the master aircraft, or the chosen landing airport (depending on the system controlling the slave aircraft at that time) may, if the internal danger of the slave aircraft is totally and definitively eliminated, restore its capabilities autonomous piloting of normal flight (assuming that the aggressor (s) have definitively been put out of harm's way for example) It would therefore be a radio-electric device comprising master / slave validation management means which can give back “the hand” of the steering controls to the first aircraft according to a predetermined security procedure to deactivate the aggression signal.

In the event of a complete stop on the ground of the device under the "aggression device" regime The neutralization of the "aggression rescue device" could of course only be done on the ground and only by the technical services duly equipped with equipment specifically designed with a code specific to each device for this function, including deflating airbags ^® (registered trademark) which may have been inflated until then.

It would in fact be a radio-electric device that only allows a specially designed ground device with a code specific to each device to be able to cancel the autopilot and other accessory command operations that have been previously activated.

Claims

1 Radio-electric device intended to allow the neutralization in flight of the steering controls of a first aircraft in distress during the internal triggering of an aggression signal automatically transmitted to the air traffic control service in charge of the aircraft, and likely to transfer unilaterally the management of commands from the first slave aircraft in flight to a second master aircraft in flight on the latter's decision when it is present in its vicinity for remote control until approaching the landing site, then passing the baton to an all-weather automatic landing system (ATT) master on the ground for the management of the landing and stopping of the first aircraft on the runway. 2 radio device according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises control means activated by the aggression signal of climb or descent to a predetermined altitude of international rescue type, control means activated by the signal d aggression of slowing down of the apparatus at a predetermined speed of the economic type, control means activated by the aggression signal of a predetermined trajectory of the straight or circular type.

3 Device according to claim 2 characterized in that said trajectory of the first aircraft has a particular profile to reproduce inconvenient conditions of stability to disturb the occupants including aggressors.

4 radio device according to any one of the preceding claims in that it comprises means for activating external distress signaling of the first aircraft, activated by the aggression signal in particular of external radioelectric, sound or light signals type of recognizable distress.

5 radio device according to claim 5 characterized in that it comprises means for deactivating said external distress signaling activation means controlled by the master unit when it takes control of the first aircraft to visually validate its takeover 6 radioelectric device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for triggering at least one neutralizing airbag of the "Airbag ®" type in the cockpit to neutralize during its deployment, permanent or not, commanded by said aggression signal, people in particular located in predetermined spaces, for example spaces not occupied by cabin crew. 7 Radio device according to claim 6 characterized in that the (s) airbag (s) neutralizing inflatable (s) comprises (s) at least one envelope resistant to bullet impacts or at least one blunt instrument.

8 Radio device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for managing the choice of priority of the choice of the master between the automatic landing system on the ground and the second aircraft for transferring or not the master management of the control surfaces of the first aircraft according to the circumstances.

9 Radio-electric device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises master / slave validation management means capable of giving back "the hand" of control commands to the first aircraft according to a predetermined security procedure for deactivating the aggression signal.

10 Radio device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for unlocking certain doors of the first aircraft, in particular by explosion, when the first aircraft stops on the ground if the aggression signal is always active.