Saturday, January 22, 2011

US Airways Employees Confirm Cedar Posts' Theory About Delvonte Tisdale


A US Airways 757 leaves the gate area in route to runway 18/36 L.

The "Local Paper" asks "How Could a Stowaway Get on the Plane?"

US Airways employees who asked not to be quoted said the most likely scenario is that Tisdale climbed inside the wheel well while the plane was on the taxiway.

On the taxiway, there probably would have been other jets in line waiting to take off. But at 7p.m., the darkness might have allowed Tisdale to sneak aboard unseen.

FlightAware, a company that tracks airline movements, said planes were taking off to the south that night. Judging from the plane's position on radar, the jet probably took off from runway 18L - the runway closest to the airport's perimeter fence. The end of the runway is close to the Carolina's Aviation Museum and about 600 feet from employee parking lots.

Bingo!

As Cedar Posts said back on December 14, 2010 (Charlotte Douglas International Airport Not Secure? Why You Shouldn't Be Surprised.) Tisdale climbed aboard US Airways Flight 1176 with no idea where it was heading, by jumping the fence at the old aviation museum and climbing into the wheel well.


The area just east of Runway 18 L that Cedar Posts' Contends that Tisdale entered the airfield.

Note: A number of people are confused about the plane. Many are still asking the question "How did Tisdale know the plane was going to Boston?" He didn't his family was from Baltimore not Boston and the two cities are 400 miles apart. Tisdale could have picked a flight to London, it didn't matter. That is how desperately he wan't to get away from Charlotte.

Note No. 2: According to the "Local Paper" Tisdale's finger prints where found in the left wheel well. Again this is more evidence pointing to entry of the aircraft while on the taxiway "holding short" of runway 18 L or while "in position and hold" on runway 18 L as the left side of the aircraft would be closest to the fence.

Note No. 3: According to the "local paper" Aviation Direct Jerry Orr told the airport's advisory committee in 2009 that the facility has about 300 cameras, "and they are pretty much everywhere".

Orr told the "local paper" "For security to work, I need to know what I'm doing and you need to know as little about it as possible," he said. "...It's the unmentionable."

Cedar's Take: If the airport has 300 cameras, then Orr needs to produce to video of Tisdale entering the aircraft and drop the "you don't need to know" attitude. We know the fence is not protection against un-authorized entry to the airfield its purpose is to prevent animals like deer from entering the airfield and to serve as a deterrent to people like Tisdale.

Orr first said it was impossible for Tisdale to breach the fence, now he says it would be impossible for the young man to enter the airport gate area. Which is it?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It must have be one hell of a ride!

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Cedar, your's is the only plausible scenario. The only missing link is how did he get to the airport that night?

Somebody knows.

JAT said...

That's right, 11:58, yet we have CMPD conducting tests hunting for aviation grease on Tisdale's clothing and showing MAPS OF THE AIRPORT to Boston-area authorities, as if THEY'LL know what to look for.

Here's what Rob Tufano needs to tell us weeks now into CMPD's "investigation" if the incident:

-- Did CMPD receive surveillance video from CLT-Douglas?

-- Did that video show the runways, including 18L?

-- If it did show 18L, was anyone observed near the flight in question?

I doubt CMPD can answer all those questions because I do not believe the runways are -- in fact -- within camera view. Which explains Orr's predictable security-thru-obscurity stance.

Meanwhile, CMPD should have canvassed all of Tisdale's friends and family by now to determine how the kid got to the airport. If they cannot establish that, we're pretty stuck.

Anonymous said...

I'm with Cedar and JAT they got it right, just one last question remains who took Tisdale to the airport?

Getting there isn't easy unless you have been down Minuteman Way before you'd never find the old Aviation Museum. At night its dark and there is no activity at all. Security at the Air National Guard is Zero! Tisdale could have slipped to the otherside of the fence in a dozen places and no one would have seen him.

Anonymous said...

Cedar, I really enjoy your blog. I work for US Airways and I can tell you there is no way Tisdale "piggybacked" his way into the wheelwell of an aircraft. Which leaves only one other option 18 L.

BTW the de-ice screw up cost plenty but I hear the give back from the city will not be cash rather 3x the damages in consessions. Just saying....

ThaQueenCity said...

I just hate this kid chose to do this. However, because our airports are supposed to be secure (or so we are told)

I do not blame the family for suing them. They are getting very few answers and a lot of walls.

Sad situation for the family and a dangerous situation for Charlotte!

Anonymous said...

Give it up Cedar Posts! You, JAT and your teabagger nut case friends all need to get over it and quit second guessing our government.

Jerry Orr has done an excellent job with very limited resourses and it hasn't cost you a penny and airlines have paid for it all.