"Aviation Security Breaches and Incidents"

Wednesday, May 22, 2002

Aviation Security Breaches and Incidents
Airport Security Report


DATE & SITE: 4/25 - Miami (MIA) CIRCUMSTANCES: Man crawled along a
moving baggage carousel into a secure holding area in search of his
luggage. RESULT: He was arrested for trespassing. 

DATE & SITE: 4/28 - Philadelphia (PHL) CIRCUMSTANCES: FBI agents removed
a group of Middle Eastern passengers from a flight bound for Orlando,
Fla. The passengers had purchased one-way tickets with cash. RESULT: All
passengers released. 

DATE & SITE: 4/28 - Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAB) CIRCUMSTANCES:
Several Saudi embassy staff members were detained because they had no
checked luggage. RESULT: They were released after they produced
diplomatic passports. 

DATE & SITE: 4/28 - Baltimore (BWI) CIRCUMSTANCES: Seven Middle Eastern
men boarding a plane were delayed while an FBI background investigation
was performed. RESULT: All were allowed to board a flight to Dallas. 

DATE & SITE: 4/28 - Washington Dulles International (IAD) CIRCUMSTANCES:
Eleven Pakistani musicians were taken off a United Airlines plane and
questioned. RESULT: All missed their flight but were released. 

DATE & SITE: 4/29 - Los Angeles (LAX) CIRCUMSTANCES: The passenger
screening station at Terminal 7 notified airport police at 9:20 a.m. of
a possible security breach. RESULT: No threat was found and passengers
were allowed back in the terminal within two hours. 

DATE & SITE: 5/3 - Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) CIRCUMSTANCES: Passenger bag
set off an explosive detector machine. Passenger disappeared with bag
into the concourse, eluding security personnel. RESULT: Two airport
concourses were searched for 2-1/2 hours. Fourteen planes were emptied
at gates and passengers were rescreened. Passenger was not found. 

DATE & SITE: 5/6 - New Orleans (MSY) CIRCUMSTANCES: Passenger carried
two loaded semiautomatic weapons in backpack through security
checkpoint. Guns were discovered during random search at Continental
Airlines gate area. RESULT: Passenger was arrested and charged with
attempting to carry weapons aboard an aircraft. 

DATE & SITE: 5/7 -Seattle (SEA) CIRCUMSTANCES: A bomb threat against SAS
Flight 937 from Copenhagen was written on the wall of restaurant in
Seattle airport. RESULT: SAS Flight 937 landed safely at Kangerlussuaq
airport on the west coast of Greenland. Danish security experts cleared
flight and the plane landed safely in Seattle. 

DATE & SITE: 5/9 - Honolulu (HNL) CIRCUMSTANCES: American Airlines pilot
became belligerent during security check. Screener asked pilot to remove
his shoes and jacket, pilot threw shoes in the air, one of which
reportedly hit a male security screener in the eye. RESULT: Pilot was
arrested and charged with third-degree assault. The flight was delayed
for about an hour while the airline found a back-up pilot. 

DATE & SITE: 5/12 - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CIN) CIRCUMSTANCES:
During a random search at a Comair gate, a passenger told screeners he
had small knife. In addition, a small amount of marijuana was found on
the passenger. RESULT: Airport's three main concourses were closed for
90 minutes. Passenger was arrested and charged with possession of
marijuana and drug paraphernalia. 

DATE & SITE: 5/15 - Los Angeles (LAX) CIRCUMSTANCES: A woman illegally
gained access to the secured area by walking onto the tarmac at about
5:30 p.m. after opening a door near the first-floor baggage area,
setting of an alarm. RESULT: The woman was never found after she
reentered Terminal One through a passageway connecting the terminal to
an aircraft. Terminal One was evacuated for nearly two hours. About 850
passengers were affected. Nine Southwest Airlines flights were cancelled
and 16 were delayed. Meanwhile, Terminal Four at Phoenix Sky Harbor
International Airport (PHX) was evacuated for almost an hour after a
plane from LAX landed before officials were notified about the breach.
Almost 2,000 passengers were rescreened and about 50 flights were
delayed.


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