moose135
2008-08-19, 09:54 PM
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ch ... 9325.story (http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-tsa-20-aug20,0,6269325.story)
Federal aviation inspector goofs and delays 40 American Eagle flights at O'Hare
Transportation Security Administration official touched sensitive equipment, officials say
By Jon Hilkevitch | Chicago Tribune reporter
7:52 PM CDT, August 19, 2008
A blunder by a federal security officer inspecting aircraft forced American Eagle to delay 40 flights Tuesday at O'Hare International Airport while the planes were examined for possible damage, airline officials said. The Transportation Security Administration officer was conducting routine checks to make sure that planes parked at the airport overnight were secure from tampering, according to the federal security agency and American Airlines, which owns and operates American Eagle.
But while ensuring that aircraft doors were locked properly, the inspector either stepped onto or grabbed sensitive avionics probes mounted on the fuselage of nine American Eagle planes, officials said. "There is a sign that clearly says, 'Don't step,' " said American spokeswoman Mary Frances ***an. No damage was found on any aircraft, but the inspections took up to two hours for each plane, ***an said.
The grounding of that many planes caused 40 flights to be delayed for American Eagle, a commuter airline that operates many short flights around the Midwest. The security agency will retrain its inspectors to prevent a future occurrence, TSA spokesman Elio Montenegro said.
According to another story, the inspector used the TAT probe as a handhold to climb on the aircraft.
Federal aviation inspector goofs and delays 40 American Eagle flights at O'Hare
Transportation Security Administration official touched sensitive equipment, officials say
By Jon Hilkevitch | Chicago Tribune reporter
7:52 PM CDT, August 19, 2008
A blunder by a federal security officer inspecting aircraft forced American Eagle to delay 40 flights Tuesday at O'Hare International Airport while the planes were examined for possible damage, airline officials said. The Transportation Security Administration officer was conducting routine checks to make sure that planes parked at the airport overnight were secure from tampering, according to the federal security agency and American Airlines, which owns and operates American Eagle.
But while ensuring that aircraft doors were locked properly, the inspector either stepped onto or grabbed sensitive avionics probes mounted on the fuselage of nine American Eagle planes, officials said. "There is a sign that clearly says, 'Don't step,' " said American spokeswoman Mary Frances ***an. No damage was found on any aircraft, but the inspections took up to two hours for each plane, ***an said.
The grounding of that many planes caused 40 flights to be delayed for American Eagle, a commuter airline that operates many short flights around the Midwest. The security agency will retrain its inspectors to prevent a future occurrence, TSA spokesman Elio Montenegro said.
According to another story, the inspector used the TAT probe as a handhold to climb on the aircraft.