By Steve Neavling
A passenger boarded his Frontier Airlines flight from Cincinnati to Tampa with box cutters on Friday evening after TSA employees committed mistakes in screening procedures.
The passenger, a man, threatened to stab passengers and crew members with the box cutters, prompting an emergency landing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, The New York Times reports.
The TSA said its employees at Kentucky’s Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport failed to adhere to operating procedures and are required to undergo additional training.
Box cutters are prohibited in the cabin and must be in checked luggage.
The man approached the screening area with two backpacks, which were examined using CT technology.
According to a review of the incident, the employees failed to fully use the CT imaging capabilities.
After the man’s luggage was flagged for an additional search, the employees removed blades from the box cutter and returned them to the passenger.
“This is contrary to standard operating procedure, which requires these items to be placed in checked bags or voluntarily abandoned,” TSA spokeswoman Patricia Mancha said. “The backpack containing the other box cutter, and the remainder of the traveler’s property, was screened for explosives, but the box cutter was not discovered.”
The FBI detained the man after the flight arrived in Atlanta.
