4 Planes Hijacked 8 Pilots and total Squawk 7500 failure?

This forum is so big that I'm not sure if this has been gone over or not. If so, please point me in the right direction.

It is my understanding that one of the most important protocols for pilots to follow is to "Squawk 7500 to the ATC" in the event of a hijacking or suspected hijacking. This is to alert the ATS silently to a possible situation and only takes a matter of a couple seconds to do. This is supposedly suppose to be second nature for all pilots and copilots to do. Like the first thing to be done. It is a law.

Now I don't know if this is factual or not, but I have come to understand that none of the pilots on the four planes of 911 actually did this. Eight pilots failed to squawk the code. I cant believe there was not enough time on any of those planes to follow this protocol. Something that is trained and just takes a couple seconds to do just doesn't make any sense to me.

Like I said, if this has been covered and anyone remembers where please point the way. If it hasn't, then we have a new thing to discuss.

a reply to: onehuman

I found an article that claims that very thing, but don't know anything about the source:


Eight Pilots on the Doomed 9/11 Flights: Not One “Squawked” the Universal Hijack Code

a reply to: onehuman

Guy breaks into the cockpit and kills or starts fighting the other pilot. Do you try to help him, or do you worry about changing a transponder code? Or let's say two guys, one for each pilot, what do you do?

a reply to: FamCore
Thank you. So now we at least we know it is true reading through that and some of the links.

So how could this have possibly of happened, or more like why didn't it happen?

a reply to: Zaphod58

I was hoping you would show up. According to the article linked above though, it took 30 seconds for them to break into flight 93.Surely that was enough time to do it. They had to know something was very wrong in that amount of time. I just find it hard to believe they All failed to do it.

a reply to: onehuman

And shock effect would have played a huge role, even if it took 30 seconds. The last successfully hijacking of a US airliner was 1987. And prior to that, from 1980 on you could count them on one hand and have most of your fingers left on that hand. You train for situations, but that doesn't mean that when it really happens there isn't a "this can't be happening" reaction. Especially to a hijack situation, since they're so rare.

I've also seen a number of successful hijackings around the world that never hit the 7500 code. The first word put out was over the radio.

One thing that has always bothered me about airline security is why the hell did they invest so much money in metal detectors and bomb sniffers etc etc etc. but never bothered to put a door on the fricken cockpit?

a reply to: Bluntone22

Weight mostly. The cheap plywood door they had was light, and blocked the cockpit from the passengers. That was considered good enough.

You guys remember in the old days anyone on a flight to Hawaii that knew the pilot would be escorted up for a visit!!

I want my innocent world back......

originally posted by: onehuman
a reply to: FamCore

So how could this have possibly of happened, or more like why didn't it happen?

the trained pairs of hijackers for each plane, were trained to fly (not trained to land) and knew full well that pilots would attempt to set-off a hijacker alert signal if they had the time do so.

the last minute assigned, strong-arm hijacker, teams of 3 thugs were on board to insure the pilot-co-pilot teams of hijackers would enter the cockpit


it seems possible that only flight 93 may have issued the hijacker-Alert-signal... all the other hijackings were completely casual take-overs by the full slate of the 2 pilots and the 3 strong-arms teams of Hijackers-&-Commandeers (total of 5 perpetrators per flight except for flight 93 which had only 4 perps...lacking a second pilot trained hijacker)


remember, Atta the operation leader was selecting pilots for stateside training schools to be members of the hijacking teams since at least 1995

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: onehuman

Guy breaks into the cockpit and kills or starts fighting the other pilot. Do you try to help him, or do you worry about changing a transponder code? Or let's say two guys, one for each pilot, what do you do?

How long did it take for them to use box cutters to cut open the cockpit door?

Are there any demonstrations or reenactments of how they gained entry (how long it took) anywhere online?

Thats it, huh? How interesting. I though the hijackers used box cutters to cut their way thru the lightweight poly styrene door panels. Who said they were made of "plywood" ?'. Ot that they "broke in" instead of 'cutting' their way in'?

And whether they broke in or cut in how come the passengers on flight 93 had to bash their way thru the door with a service cart to gain entry to the cockpit?

a reply to: intrptr

You seriously believe they made the entire door out of polystyrene foam? Seriously?

There were polystyrene foam panels INSIDE the door pressed between thin wood panels. If they couldn't force the crew to open the door a drink cart made short work of them.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: intrptr

You seriously believe they made the entire door out of polystyrene foam? Seriously?

There were polystyrene foam panels INSIDE the door pressed between thin wood panels. If they couldn't force the crew to open the door a drink cart made short work of them.

So they cut their way in, right? How come the door on 93 had to be bashed in by the passengers?

originally posted by: intrptr
How long did it take for them to use box cutters to cut open the cockpit door?

Are there any demonstrations or reenactments of how they gained entry (how long it took) anywhere online?

the most likely sequence of events was for the 2 intended pilot hijackers casually finessed their way into the cockpit, past the flight attendants if one was stationed there or had been pre-occupied by a feigned incident from passengers...

Pre 911 cockpit doors were not fashioned for 'security' but rather for privacy or noise issues (except for the Israel Airlines)

the 2 terrorist pilots immediately slashed the necks of the 2 commercial pilots so as to take control immediately...
as soon as that action took place the terrorist pilots yelled out to the 3 hijackers in the passenger cabins to take control (the previously distracted flight attendants or even civilian passengers might have been slashed to cause Panic)

If there were keys to the door access, the 2 pilot terrorists subdued/killed the attendant on duty and sprung into the cockpit unannounced using the keys taken from the flight attendant...and slashed the flight pilots throats whose hands immediately went to the slash wound instead of any Alarm button


hint: read up on the flight timing of each hijacking event being started...it might reveal that the hijackings happened just after the flight teams had just finished beverages after having settled in to Auto-Pilot mode, when everything seemed routine for the next hour-or-so or before pee-breaks



the box cutters were for terror not as door entry tools

a reply to: onehuman

Yet...what did happen? DID happen the way it did. Actions taken and not taken? Then the question itself is an enigma..in itself...

a reply to: intrptr

What part of "the polystyrene foam was INSIDE" did you miss? Or did you miss the "if they couldn't force the crew to open the door the drink cart made short work of the door"? No they didn't cut their way through the door. They forced the flight attendants to open the door or broke it down.

Now that you mention it.. how did a few guys on each plane overthrow 100+ people armed with box cutters and get into the cabin?

They were outnumbered.. You can use any type of luggage as a shield and just storm them woth numbers.

I really wish I could know how that all went

The more I think about it.. the more I'm thinking.. no way

a reply to: Lucidparadox

Because prior to 9/11 the crew was trained to keep passengers in their seats and cooperate with hijackers. Other than a few hijackings that didn't end well, hijackers would land the plane and negotiate. So the crews were trained to keep everyone calm, get on the ground, and let the authorities handle things until they were released. There was no fighting back at the time. It wasn't like it is now.

Pardon my ignorance but 9/11 law is not my main interest..

Was there not a lot of talk about the Hijackers or at least some being in the cockpit even before take off as a dead head (I believe the term is??). That would explain the lack of 7500 signal as they where already only a few inch's from the controls???..


RA