Federal authorities are tacitly acknowledging that, despite their best efforts, it’s impossible to keep domestic aircraft safe from all evildoers. That’s because if a pilot wants to crash a plane, the pilot can crash a plane.

 

With that in mind, the Transportation Security Administration began a program Tuesday allowing pilots to skirt the security-screening process. The TSA has deployed approximately 500 body scanners to airports nationwide in a bid to prevent terrorists from boarding domestic flights, but pilots don’t have to go through the controversial nude body scanners or other forms of screening. They don’t have to be patted down or go through metal detectors. Their carry-on bags are not searched.