Pilot Believed Security Videos 'Innocuous'

Dec. 28, 2010 — -- The pilot who posted several videos online that he said exposed the "farce" of airport security said today that not only did he believe he was helping to improve security but that he didn't think anyone would necessarily watch his videos.

"I don't think I was jeopardizing the safety," pilot Chris Liu told "Good Morning America" today, a day after he revealed his identity. "I didn't really think anyone was watching YouTube. I didn't really think about it. ... I figured it was pretty innocuous."

Liu, who said he had been flying with American Airlines for 12 years, recorded several videos of airport external security with his cell phone. One of the videos, which has gotten more than half a million hits on YouTube, purportedly shows how ground crews can enter secured areas at a San Francisco airport by swiping a security card, which, Liu said, is a far cry from the scrutiny travelers and pilots undergo through normal security.

"All I wanted to do was identify the disparity between upstairs and downstairs," Liu said.

"As you can see, airport security is kind of a farce. It's only smoke and mirrors so you people believe there is actually something going on here," he said on one video.

Managers at the airport said the door shown led to an employee lunchroom, but Liu said that's just one of several similar cases.

"I've been to hundreds of airports and hundreds of doors, and they're basically the same," he said.

Liu posted the videos anonymously and did not reveal his identity until an interview with ABC News' Sacramento, Calif., affiliate, KXTV, Monday.

Much to Liu's surprise, the videos became hugely popular online and on his website, Patriot Pilot. After the Transportation Security Administration discovered the videos, several federal agents were sent to Liu's home and confiscated his federally issued handgun.

American Airlines has refused to acknowledge Liu was an employee. Liu could face charges for sharing security secrets.

Don Werno, an attorney for Liu, told "GMA" that the threat to Liu's job and the argument that he may have endangered travelers is a "side issue."

"I think the issue here is there's a major national security problem that Chris has helped to expose," he said. "We can have an intelligent dialogue about real security, or we can talk about smoke and mirrors."