Half of the hostages died in part because 1) inadequate numbers of
medical personnel were immediately onhand due to poor planning 2) those
that WERE there werent told what was going on or what was used 3)
non-lethal is a misnomer (ANYTHING can be toxic in the wrong amounts,
including water and oxygen, let alone inhaled sedatives/anesthetics)

The decompression scenario may work, but you would have to disarm the
oxygen masks or they would deploy with depressurization. And again,
different people tolerate events differently. An otherwise healthy
person may survive without supplemental oxygen, but a person who is
marginal may not. If the masks deploy, then whats to prevent said bad
guys from commandeering masks to stay with the fight?

Dave

Viperdoc wrote:

I hope your suggestion wasn't serious- remember when terrorists took over a
theater in Russia and the special forces sprayed in a "non-lethal" disabling
agent? Around half of the hostages also died from the effects as well.

What makes you think a significant number of the elderly or less healthy
passengers would also die from hypoxia? How many would suffer permanent
brain damage, or strokes or heart attacks?

I think I would rather take my chances having a trained air marshal on board
even if they had to start shooting Glaser safety slugs around the cabin. If
a terrorist does not control the flight deck they do not control the
airplane, and pilots are trained to keep the door closed and locked under
any and all circumstances.