"Syracuse airport concourse evacuated"

Thursday, October 3, 2002

Syracuse airport wing evacuated
The Associated Press 


SYRACUSE - Authorities temporarily evacuated a concourse at Syracuse
Hancock International Airport Wednesday after a baggage screener noticed
a suspicious object in a carry-on bag. 

Authorities were unable to locate the object during a follow-up search
but were confident it was not a weapon or an explosive, said Gary Milano
of the federal Transportation Security Administration. 

An X-ray technician at a gate in the airport's south concourse checking
luggage at 6:50 a.m. noticed a cylinder-shaped object with what appeared
to be a metal arrowhead in a carry-on bag, Milano said. 

However, the screener inadvertently grabbed the wrong bag when it
emerged from the X-ray machine, Milano said. 

By the time the screener realized the mistake, it was too late to locate
the correct one, he said. 

As a result, authorities decided to close the concourse and re-inspect
all the luggage. 

The object was not found during the follow-up search, Milano said. 

"It took some time. We recognize that we inconvenienced people but it
was for the sake of safety and security," Milano said. 

The concourse, which contains gates for U.S. Airways, Northwest and
JetBlue airlines, was reopened at 8:30 a.m., said Airport Commissioner
Charles Everett. 

Six flights were delayed because of the evacuation, he said.


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