The pilot who got locked in the bathroom and triggered a terrorist alert

[Are_grits_groceries]

needs to be thoroughly questioned. I am not saying he is a terrorist. However, why on earth would he give the secret access code for the cockpit to some random passenger?
He should have told the passenger to talk to a flight attendant or think of some other method.
I still haven't figured out why he would give out that info. I'm glad there are apparently protocols in place so that the code doesn't automatically give someone access to the cockpit. The pilot has to verify it too.
Weird decision making.

[MADem]

1. Wasn't it a small plane? I am not sure of the details, but there may not have been a FA aboard. nt

[Are_grits_groceries]

2. There was only one flight attendant

who was in the cockpit as per the rules. She finally went to check.
My problem is with the captain giving out the access password.
They are saying that all the safety measures were followed. I don't think so.

[MADem]

4. If the FA was in the cockpit, then he couldn't have notified him or her.

It sounds like an unusual situation where the captain freaked out.

The bottom line, though, is the captain (the PIC, or Pilot in Command) is in absolute charge of the ship, as it were. He/she makes the decisions at the end of the day. If you look like a dodgy passenger to the captain, you aren't flying! And he can decide if you can come into the cockpit as well, per FAA regs: http://fsims.faa.gov/WDocs/8900.1/V03%20Tech%20Admin/Chapter%2002/03_002_001.htm
There's also an emergency caveat in that boring list of regs.

That's not to say that his airline might not have a word with him, but I think he's on safe ground in terms of the FAA. The pass code changes every day--it's not a fixed thing.

[Orrex]

3. He should have thought of that before we left.

[Brickbat]

5. I LOL'd.

:thumbsup:

[sarcasmo]

6. I thought the same thing, why would he give the code. Tell some one to let

the steward know you are stuck in the bathroom. The whole story seems odd.