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Bomb detection test goes wrong at Newark Airport

B

BBond

Diamond Member
Sounds like a repeat of the bag of this story.

You get what you pay for. You pay people who are responsible for your life and the lives of everyone else on your flight $8 an hour, no benefits, and this is what you get.

Bomb detection test goes wrong at Newark Airport

Wednesday, December 15, 2004
BY RON MARSICO
Star-Ledger Staff

Federal security screeners lost a bag containing a test explosive last night at Newark Liberty International Airport, creating a major security breach in Terminal C, a high- ranking U.S. Transportation Security Administration official confirmed early today.

The test explosive was a fake because it contained "an inert material" and was not dangerous, the official said.

Individuals familiar with the incident said the luggage, tagged for a Continental flight to Amsterdam, could not be found and was presumed to be on the outbound flight, which was scheduled to depart the airport sometime after 6 p.m.

The test explosive was placed in the bag by a supervisor and sent through an SUV-size bomb-detection machine, according to individuals familiar with the incident. But TSA baggage screeners lost sight of the bag after the machine sounded an alarm, and the bag slipped through to the secure side of the airport, the individuals said.

After searching the terminal for several hours, the bag was not found, the individuals said.

Reached late last night, Marcus Arroyo, the federal security director at Newark Airport, said only that he was "in the middle of something."

Despite the breach, no flights were delayed and the terminal was not shut down.

The security lapse is the latest problem for the TSA at Newark Airport, one of three airports used by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. The TSA has suffered from staffing shortages and a range of security troubles throughout the year.

In October, it was revealed that screeners at Newark Airport missed one in four fake explosives and weapons in covert weekly tests conducted throughout the summer by TSA agents, according to confidential reports obtained by The Star-Ledger. Earlier this month, the newspaper reported that TSA screeners at Newark Airport on average missed six work weeks -- in addition to their vacation and holiday time -- in the first 9 1/2 months of this year due to sick time, injuries and leave without pay.

Last night's incident is similar to one that embarrassed aviation security officials in France last week when authorities there lost a bag containing explosives used to test bomb-sniffing dogs. Those explosives, however, were real. Officials in France said the incident prompted them to issue an edict prohibiting the use of live explosives in future tests.

The TSA official, speaking only on condition of anonymity, said the test included "simulated Semtex," which is a common plastic explosive, as well as a detonator, wiring and a clock. The items are typically part of a test explosive kit.

Top TSA officials returned to Terminal C last night to help in the search and spent hours at the terminal, but were unsuccessful, according to one of the individuals.

Officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the airport's operator, did not return calls late last night.

 
Originally posted by: frankie38
newark tsa is the worst.....they must have hired all the orange grads from 6th grade.
Click to expand...

😀 The security was pretty tight the last time I flew through there, almost exactly a year ago today. Though they did let me on to my flight with a screwdriver, so I suppose I could have gradually unscrewed the plane into pieces while it was in the air 😕
 
I wonder when they slip stuff like this into people's baggages like the French test, what happens to those people should they(security) find it and not lose it? Presumably the actual employees don't know its been slipped in. or else it wouldn't be a test if they knew its coming. Do you get subjected to small conference in some backroom?

I dunno about you but I hate to be part of some test unknowingly. imagine its been planted into your things they stop everything and no doubt arrest you on the spot or a few feet away. Subjugated to public embrassment.

Just a thought.
 
Bomb found...in Amsterdam.

So I guess they failed the test?

Fake bomb makes landing in Amsterdam

Bag eluded Newark screeners
Thursday, December 16, 2004
BY RON MARSICO
Star-Ledger Staff

A fake bomb that eluded detection by federal security screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport was found in a bag on a Continental Airlines flight that landed yesterday morning in Amsterdam, federal officials said.

The retrieval of the bag ended an embarrassing breach of security that began in Newark Airport's Terminal C on Tuesday night when screeners lost track of the fake bomb during a baggage screening test. The black, soft-covered bag, containing simulated Semtex plastic explosives, a detonator, wiring and a clock, somehow made its way onto Flight 70 bound for the Netherlands with more than 200 passengers aboard.

A U.S. Transportation Security Administration representative based in Belgium was dispatched to Amsterdam yesterday to get the fake bomb back, but the repercussions of yet another security breakdown at Newark Airport were far from over.

The TSA said it had launched an investigation into the incident, describing it as a training exercise gone awry.

"It was part of a testing kit. It was a simulated explosive constructed with an inert material that was mishandled and loaded onto an airplane," said Amy Von Walter, a TSA spokeswoman. "We're investigating. The screening personnel involved will be provided remedial training as necessary."

TSA also issued a statement, which said, in part, "TSA Trainers conducting the assessment immediately realized that the inert bag had proceeded to the bag room and they immediately proceeded to the bag room in order to recover the bag. ... At no time did the bag containing inert material pose any danger to passengers or the aircraft."

Two TSA officials familiar with the matter said the test should never have happened in the first place. It was conducted, they said, by a screening supervisor who was not cleared by TSA headquarters in Virginia to oversee training exercises. The supervisor was reassigned to another post yesterday.

Officials said the bag involved had Continental's destination tag to Amsterdam. The test was conducted on screeners manning the SUV-sized bomb-detection machines, which are designed to set off an alarm on explosive residue. The exercise was conducted in the hour before Flight 70's 7 p.m. departure.

The incident also raised questions of whether TSA's local management notified TSA headquarters in Arlington, Va., or the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey -- the airport's operator -- in a timely fashion.

Individuals familiar with the matter say TSA's command center was not notified for at least two hours after the incident, while Port Authority police were not told of the incident by TSA until more than 12 hours had passed.

"The Port Authority police play an important role in security at Newark Liberty International Airport," said a statement issued by Lou Martinez, an agency spokesman. "And we should be informed about any security matters. We expect this will not happen again."

Marcus Arroyo, the federal security director at Newark Airport, said he properly informed the TSA's command center of the breach as per the agency's protocol.

"When I was notified on a timely basis, I notified Washington on a timely basis," said Arroyo.

He declined to respond to the Port Authority's criticism.

Continental officials declined comment, referring the matter to TSA.

U.S. Sens. Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg (both D-N.J.) called on Rear Adm. David Stone, who heads the TSA, to investigate. In a joint statement, they said that because Newark Airport is one of the nation's largest and "one of three airports used by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, it should be a critical priority for TSA."

Newark Airport has experienced screener staffing shortages and various security troubles this year.

In May, The Star-Ledger reported that thousands of checked bags were not being electronically screened for explosives each day as required by Congress and checkpoints were significantly understaffed, according to current and former screeners and supervisors and internal e-mail. TSA hired more baggage screeners and said all checked luggage was being properly checked by month's end.

In October, the newspaper -- citing confidential TSA reports -- reported that checkpoint screeners missed one-in-four fake explosives and weapons in weekly tests during the summer. And earlier this month, the paper reported that screeners missed an average six work weeks -- on top of their vacation and holiday time -- through mid-October because of sickness, injuries and unpaid leaves.

Of the latest breach, the senators wrote Stone: "We find this incident to be alarming and believe it merits the immediate attention of your office."


 
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