Sunday, July 11, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m.
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The Times collected 100 media reports of airport-security breaches since fall 2002, when TSA screeners took over. Screeners say that's a fraction of the incidents, and most are never disclosed.
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View breaches by state:
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Illinois
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| Airport |
Breach description |
| Midway Int'l, Chicago |
A woman passed through a metal detector but did not complete wand screening before walking into the concourse. Security workers were unable to locate the woman. TSA officials evacuated three terminals, and an estimated 1,000 passengers were rescreened. All departing flights were halted for an hour. [8/02/2003]
Source: Airport Security Report
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| O'Hare Int'l Airport, Chicago |
A man triggered the alarm on a metal detector and was asked to step aside for further scrutiny. The screener became distracted, and the man left the checkpoint. The man was found and questioned by federal officials. The terminal was closed for an hour but not evacuated. Some planes were searched before they departed. Security tapes showed the man was confused and apparently had no malicious intent. [5/01/2003]
Source: Airport Security Report
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| O'Hare Int'l Airport, Chicago |
A man entered the United Airlines terminal at O'Hare International Airport through an exit lane, bypassing the security checkpoint. The man apparently boarded a flight to Detroit after the breach. The plane was searched upon landing but authorities could not identify the man. The Chicago terminal was evacuated for almost three hours. Officials said an investigation found it took security employees six minutes to call police and shut down the terminal. Two federal security screeners were later fired for not guarding their posts. [10/15/2002]
Source: Airport Security Report and Chicago Sun-Times
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| O'Hare or Midway, Chicago |
A California man was taken into custody after taking out a knife on a plane from Chicago to Syracuse, N.Y. About 15 minutes into the flight, a passenger noticed the man remove the knife from his duffel bag and start cutting loose threads from his clothes. She notified the flight crew, which contacted Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Syracuse police and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Police were waiting when the plane landed. It's unclear how screeners in Chicago failed to notice the knife, which was described as a folding pocketknife with a blade about 1-1/2 inches long. [2/19/2004]
Source: The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.)
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