Retired Geek - What Are The TSA Agents Looking For? Part 3

PETN is reasonably stable and difficult to detonate with just a flame, as demonstrated by Richard Reid the "Shoe Bomber", who tried to bring down an American Airlines flight to Miami in 2001 with PETN concealed in one of his shoes.

Why is PETN so difficult to detect and why such small amounts?

PETN is non-metallic so it does not show up in x-ray machines and so powerful that only a small amount can be easily hidden on or in the Human body - which can do considerable damage.

Like most Americans, I knew little about PETN or understood the methodology of what the Islamic Terrorists were trying to do with small amounts of PETN, or why the TSA searched shoes, breasts, crotch areas and so on. I could only visualize Planes being brought down by missiles or rockets etc.

What the Islamic Terrorists are trying to do, is puncture the fuselage of the Aircraft at High Altitudes which would result in rapid decompression of the passenger Cabin. 

There are three factors that would determine the rate of decompression.

1. The volume or size of the passenger Cabin.
2. The size of the opening  i.e. Door or puncture.
3. The difference in pressure between inside and outside of the passenger Cabin, which is determined by Altitude.

What happens when a cabin undergoes explosive decompression at 35,000 feet of altitude (normal operating altitude of large modern jets)?

If the opening is large enough - many passengers, crew members and objects in the Cabin are immediately sucked out of the Aircraft. The inside temperature of the Cabin instantly matches the frigid air outside the Cabin or approximately -55 degrees Celsius (-67 Fahrenheit).

Hypothermia, frostbite, decompression sickness - begins immediately and in approximately one minute all passengers and crew members are unconscious.

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TSA - PETN 5 Part Series:

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