Officials say security screeners at a Bozeman-area airport failed to spot a gun in a passenger’s luggage last month, but the man turned himself in when he realized his error.
Transportation Security Administration spokesman Dwayne Baird said in a written statement Wednesday that the unidentified man became aware that he had the firearm in his carryon luggage as he was boarding Dec. 13 at Gallatin Field. The gun was confiscated and the passenger was allowed to continue on the flight.
The incident occurred nearly two weeks before the alleged Christmas Day attempt to blow up a U.S. airliner reawakened widespread concern over airline safety.
Still, Gallatin Field Board Chairman Dick Roehm says he’s disappointed at the lapse and the airport is looking into turning to a private company to handle security at the airport.
How people trust these guys is amazing.
I really don’t think that TSA is paid minimum wage, though I seriously do think there is a cap on their IQ requirements – no one with triple digits allowed.
As somebody who occasionally travels with a handgun I need to ask:
Was this weapon in checked baggage or in carry-on?
If the former the only risk to ANYBODY (let’s assume the guy could legally possess the gun at both ends of the flight – required by federal law) would have been if the TSA screeners would have found the gun in subsequent secondary screening. He’d get arrested etc.
If it’s in carry-on then we have a major TSA screw-up. So what else is new about that?
THAT we need to deal with…. But the real issue here is strip-searching an eight-year-old doesn’t help nearly as much as keeping a Muslim off a flight if his name turns up on somebody’s list…. Problem lately is that the lists are secret….
AARGH….