Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Woman carries gun aboard American plane at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW)




NBCDFW.COM

A woman was taken into custody early Wednesday after trying to board a flight to Houston with a firearm.

A 65-year-old woman was in custody Wednesday after carrying a .38-caliber revolver through a security checkpoint at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and boarding an American Airlines flight to Houston.

The aircraft had left the gate before the woman was located and removed, American spokesman Ed Martelle said.

The woman's name was not released, but NBC 5 said she is from Little Elm.

The incident began around 6:20 a.m. at the checkpoint near Gate D30 in Terminal D.

The screening officers detected a firearm in a handbag after the woman had already left the checkpoint, according to the Transportation Security Administration, the federal agency that is responsible for airport security.

DFW Airport police swept all five terminals in search of the passenger, but concentrated on Terminal D.

"Our officers found her on a plane and pulled her off," DFW Airport spokesman David Magana said.

Magana said the woman was found about 8 a.m. aboard American Flight 2385, which was parked at Gate D31 after being called back for inspection.

Officials did not say how they located the woman.

The flight was American Airlines Flight 2385, which was scheduled to depart for Houston's Intercontinental Airport at 7:05 a.m.

The TSA responded only via a statement: "To ensure the safety of the traveling public, TSA worked with local law enforcement to locate the passenger and firearm before the plane departed."

Magana said the woman will be charged with "places weapons prohibited," which is a state law covering possession of prohibited weapons. The charge is a third-degree felony.

The FBI is also investigating, he said.

There were 10 flights delayed on average between 20 and 25 minutes because of the incident.

American operations at Terminal D are now back to normal, Martelle said.

As of 9:30 a.m., all of the checkpoints at Terminal D had re-opened and there were no lengthy delays reported at the airport.

Source:   http://www.star-telegram.com

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