Loaded handgun was American pilot's personal weapon, authorities say

Authorities confirmed the loaded handgun that an American pilot is accused of attempting to bring through Calgary airport security was a personal weapon.

In addition, he was not part of a federal program that allows certain trained flight crew members to be armed on flights.

The pilot with SkyWest Airlines was arrested after screening officers at the U.S. security checkpoint discovered what appeared to be a loaded firearm in a bag that was passing through an X-ray machine at around 7:30 a.m. on Friday, and immediately notified Calgary police.

The firearm was confirmed to be a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard .380-calibre handgun, according to court documents.

Marissa Snow, spokeswoman with SkyWest Airlines, said the firearm was a personal weapon.

“SkyWest’s top priority is the safety and security of our passengers and employees. This includes following all federal regulations and SkyWest policies that prohibit transport of personal firearms on board aircraft,” Snow said in an e-mailed statement.

Snow said the man was one of the crew members on a flight departing from Calgary on Friday, but could not specify which carrier he was flying with and where he was heading.

The airline lists a number of network carriers it partners with, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

“We are investigating his trip history right now,” Snow said in a phone interview.

She added he’s on administrative leave while investigations are underway internally and by authorities.

According to a U.S. official who did not want to be named, the accused pilot was not part of the federal flight deck officer program, which allows certain trained flight crew members to be armed.

The Transportation Security Administration, an agency which oversees travel security in the U.S. and was created following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, allows eligible flight crew members to use firearms “to defend against an act of criminal violence or air piracy attempting to gain control of an aircraft.”

The TSA says these federal flight deck officers may be pilots, flight engineers, or navigators assigned to the flight, and are trained by the Federal Air Marshal Service.

The official also confirmed that the weapon seized by authorities on Friday would not be one used in this program. The federal flight deck officer program primarily operates on U.S. domestic flights, the official added.

Utah resident Joshua Petty White, 38, has been charged under the Firearms Act with unlawful storage, handling and transport of a firearm, as well as unauthorized possession of a weapon and possession of a prohibited weapon.

White was also charged under the Customs Act with failing to declare a prohibited firearm to the Canada Border Services Agency upon his entry into Canada on Thursday.

Upon learning that he was allegedly trying to clear security with a loaded firearm, officers with CBSA criminal investigations subsequently charged White with smuggling under the Customs Act and importation of a prohibited firearm under the criminal code.

White was released on a $4,000 bond. He is expected to appear in court on April 29th.

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