Features

Suspicious bag forces evacuation

The Associated Press
Tuesday November 05, 2002

SAN JOSE — Three planes were evacuated, at least 56 flights were delayed and hundreds of people were cleared out of Mineta San Jose International Airport after a suspicious bag slipped past screeners last weekend. 

The airport’s most serious security problem since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack began when a piece of luggage tested positive during a routine swabbing for explosives. A second test of the luggage was negative and the passenger left the checkpoint with the bag. 

When a supervisor was told what had happened, the alert began Sunday afternoon. 

When screeners checked the explosives detection machine, they determined that almost 30 minutes had passed since the alarm had been activated. At least one flight had departed before a Transportation Security Administration supervisor was alerted to the security breach, police spokesman Joseph Deras said. 

Once that plane landed in San Diego, all passengers were rescreened, officials said.