A woman was stopped from taking a handgun aboard a plane at Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday, marking the sixth time this month someone was caught at the airport checkpoint with a weapon, Allegheny County Police said.
A 31-year-old woman, who was not identified by police, was stopped by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at 3:20 p.m. Friday when officers saw a loaded Glock 9 mm handgun in the her purse at the airport’s main security checkpoint and alerted police.
The woman had a valid concealed carry permit and told authorities she inadvertently left the firearm in her bag, police said. The FBI was notified.
The passenger was permitted to fly, but her gun was confiscated. County police said they do not anticipate charges will be filed against her.
While travelers are not allowed to carry their guns onto airplanes, passengers are allowed to transport their firearms as checked baggage. Guns must be properly packed and declared at the ticket counter to be transported in the belly of the plane with checked baggage.
Guns that are checked must be unloaded and packed in a hard-sided case separate from ammunition.
TSA officers also stopped a Homer City man on Thursday from bringing his unloaded .380-caliber handgun onto a flight.
When TSA officers spotted the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine, they informed police who confiscated the weapon and temporarily detained the man for questioning before issuing a court summons.
With the two guns that were caught at the airport security checkpoint this week, there have been a total of 24 guns confiscated by authorities this year. There have been six guns caught at the checkpoint this month alone, including on Sept. 7, 8, 10 and 14.
“Travelers should not be bringing guns to the checkpoint because they are not permitted to be carried through a TSA security checkpoint,” said TSA Federal Security Director Karen Keys-Turner. “Even if someone has a concealed carry permit, it does not give you permission to bring a gun or any other weapon onto an airplane.”
The Homer City man now faces a federal financial penalty that could cost him thousands of dollars.
