A TSA dangerous object finding caused an emergency evacuation! This happened at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in the United States, where the Transportation Security Administration found something that wasn’t allowed in a security check routine and strict safety protocols.
What the TSA found was inside of a passenger’s hand luggage and it was… an inert grenade! This showed a light on the importance of threat detection systems and the strict compliance of safety rules at airports in the country. Also, that we need to be informed on what we can and can’t bring to aiports. So, let’s learn more about this story!
Evacuation of passengers
On the 15th of June, passengers at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport had to be evacuated because the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) found a dangerous object inside a passenger’s hand luggage. What measures were done in this situation? Well, every time there is a sign of the presence of explovies, the TSA activates the safety protocols by evacuating the area and temporarily closing it while they are examining it.
Experts on explosives and the airport security moved to the threatened area to verify the object conditions, and it was confirmed it was an inert grenade, this means it wasn’t active nor was a real danger. However, the appearance was realistic enough to activate the alert to the highest level.
TSA’s answer and passengers’ reaction
Of course, this situation affected the normal activity of the airport, flights were delayed and it changed the passengers flow, which was frustrating for many people. Imagine being one of these passengers and having your flight delayed because of an inert grenade, basically for something that wasn’t dangerous at all, it would be a bummer.
Reggie Stephens, Federal Security Director of the TSA, shared this support for the security team saying that they were very proud of their officers who work so hard to keep the transport systems and passengers safe.
The TSA took advantage of the occasion and reminded the passengers that it was completely banned to carry real or imitation explosives. Even though the object is not a threat, it can provoke critical situations like evacuations, arrests and legal sanctions.
Not the best month for this airport
This wasn’t the only issue at this airport in the same month. At the beginning of June, a young man from Michigan was arrested by the FBI after a fake bomb threat against a flight from Spirit Airlines flying to Los Angeles.
According to the investigation, this young man used a mobile phone to call the airline to warn about a bomb in the 2145 flight. So, you can imagine the flight was immediately canceled and another evacuation happened. Now, he is facing two federal charges for malicious transmission of false information about a bomb threat. This is considered a felony in the United States which can entail significant prison sentences.
Just in case, security first
These two events show how important it is to constantly guard airports in the U.S. and have no doubts when activating the safety protocols, no matter if it’s a real or fake threat. The TSA keeps reminding passengers to check very carefully their luggage before travelling to prevent any confusion concerning objects inside.
The priority of authorities is very clear: protect every passenger and staff working at the air transport systems. At least, there were no damages nor victims in any of these situations, but they can be useful to keep in mind what could happen if airport security rules are not followed. So, think twice next time you are packing your suitcases if you don’t want to miss your flight!