"Congressman Criticizes Airport Security Test"

Thursday, March 13, 2003

Congressman Criticizes Airport Security Test
Bachus Calls For Investigation
WVTM-TV, AL


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Dozens of flights were delayed Tuesday and hundreds of
passengers were left to wonder and wait after a security test at Birmingham
International Airport went wrong. Two days after the incident, one Alabama
lawmaker is calling for change. 

Wednesday, four unidentified people were found lurking on the tarmac at the
airport. When asked for identification, the people reportedly disappeared
and security locked down the entire airport. 

The incident turned out to be a test -- the people were federal
Transportation Security Administration employees. Birmingham's airport
authority says it had no knowledge of the planned test. 

"The TSA has got to learn to work with local authorities and law enforcement
agencies," Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Alabama, said Thursday. "Several hundred
passengers were inconvenienced in Birmingham as were untold passengers in
other cities whose connections were disrupted." 

Bachus adds that Tuesday's incident was more than an inconvenience to the
airlines -- some are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and the incident
could add to the financial struggles. 

"The airlines were out hundreds of thousands of dollars in a time of
financial stress," Bachus said. "As a member of the aviation subcommittee,
I've written director Tom Ridge requesting a full investigation and report
on this unfortunate incident." 

In response to the called investigation, the TSA issued this statement: "We
agree that it was an avoidable incident, but had something like this really
occurred it shows the system works. We have modified our procedures to avoid
this in the future."


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