Northern Colorado Gazette

by Matt Lacy –

Officials with the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) said a woman who tested positive for possible explosive residue was able to pass through security and board a flight for Cleveland.

The woman was at the United Airlines checkpoint at Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport, earlier this month when she set off an alarm indicating she had tested positive for residue of possible explosive residue on her hands.

Because of the long lines, the woman was allowed to slip past security without being examined for what set the alarm off and was allowed to board a flight for Cleveland. The woman was never identified by officials. The Newark Star-Ledger reported that officials finally concluded she was on the Cleveland flight only after it had landed.

“She walked out of the checkpoint area before the screening process was complete,” Ann Davis, a TSA spokeswoman, said in a statement to the Ledger. “Management at Newark will conduct a comprehensive review of the incident and will take appropriate action.”

The incident was the second involving and explosives alert that day. Fox News 5 reported that about two hours earlier another explosives alert was set off by an oversized checked bag. The bag went missing for around 45 minutes before members of the Essex County Bomb Squad were able to determine the bag was not a threat.

The security failure reportedly caused “dozens” of flight delays and over 100 cancellations as passengers had to be re-screened.

In the days following the incident, the TSA issued a report on its blog site saying “passengers continue to pack guns and grenades.”

The article said, “we continue to find hand grenades and other ordinances on a weekly basis,” but made no mention of the incident at Newark.

by Matt Lacy –

Officials with the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) said a woman who tested positive for possible explosive residue was able to pass through security and board a flight for Cleveland.

The woman was at the United Airlines checkpoint at Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport, earlier this month when she set off an alarm indicating she had tested positive for residue of possible explosive residue on her hands.

Because of the long lines, the woman was allowed to slip past security without being examined for what set the alarm off and was allowed to board a flight for Cleveland. The woman was never identified by officials. The Newark Star-Ledger reported that officials finally concluded she was on the Cleveland flight only after it had landed.

“She walked out of the checkpoint area before the screening process was complete,” Ann Davis, a TSA spokeswoman, said in a statement to the Ledger. “Management at Newark will conduct a comprehensive review of the incident and will take appropriate action.”

The incident was the second involving and explosives alert that day. Fox News 5 reported that about two hours earlier another explosives alert was set off by an oversized checked bag. The bag went missing for around 45 minutes before members of the Essex County Bomb Squad were able to determine the bag was not a threat.

The security failure reportedly caused “dozens” of flight delays and over 100 cancellations as passengers had to be re-screened.

In the days following the incident, the TSA issued a report on its blog site saying “passengers continue to pack guns and grenades.”

Share on Facebook

Tags: Agency, Ann Davis, area, board, conduct, day, Essex County Bomb Squad, flight, Fox News, Matt, Matt Lacy, month, Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark Star Ledger, screening, second, security, TSA, United Airlines, woman