Scrutiny now likely for secretive air-marshal system

WASHINGTON — The fatal shooting of a passenger at Miami International Airport on Wednesday is likely to raise questions about the expanded presence of guns aboard commercial airplanes in recent years, as well as federal air marshals' training — in particular, with passengers who appear to be mentally unstable.

Air marshals do train on how to deal with unstable passengers. "The difficulty of the job is you have a split second to make a decision," said Brian Doyle, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman.

Much of the marshals' work is a mystery because many details about the program, such as where marshals fly, how many there are and even their names, are classified. The nation had 33 air marshals before the Sept. 11 attacks, and the program was expanded rapidly to several thousand marshals, who fly in teams of two on many flights in and out of Washington, D.C., and New York. They also fly on several international flights.

Air marshals are trained to declare themselves only as "police" when they respond to a security or safety incident aboard an aircraft or in an airport. Several news reports have detailed incidents in which air marshals have blown their covers to assist with local or federal police.

On a Delta Air Lines flight in 2002, an air marshal detained a passenger who did not comply with security rules and then pointed a gun at passengers for 30 minutes before the flight landed. Authorities said the marshal acted properly, but one passenger who was detained briefly but never charged sued and received a $50,000 settlement and an apology from the government. In several other cases, federal air marshals have tackled suspects being pursued by police.

Transportation Security Administration officials say the air-marshal program is seeking to expand its authority from the aircraft to undercover surveillance work in airports. According to a Department of Transportation inspector general's report, the marshals' cover is frequently blown by flight-crew members, who are informed of their presence before passengers board.