Boeing's anti-hijack remote control patent resurfaces

The existence of a 2006 Boeing patent outlining a remote-controlled aircraft override system has resurfaced following the preliminary findings into the crash of Air India Flight AI171, which crashed in Ahmedabad on 12 June, killing 260 people.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The patent, registered as US7142971B2 and granted to Boeing on 28 November 2006, is titled "Method and system for automatically controlling a path of travel of a vehicle."

The design, which was filed in 2003, was developed in the post-9/11 terror attacks and the resultant security environment.

If implemented, it allowed the system to take full remote control of a commercial aircraft in the event of a hijacking. As described in the patent, the system would override onboard pilot controls, reroute the aircraft automatically to a safe landing site, and prevent manual intervention by any individual on board.

According to the patent, activation of the system could occur through ground-based signals or onboard triggers, including cockpit switches or sensors detecting unauthorized access. The concept includes redundant controls and an independent power supply to function even if aircraft systems are compromised.