An unplugged airport metal detector led to the evacuation of a busy JFK Airport terminal on Saturday and caused hours of delays as angry travelers shared their frustration over social media, according to a published report.
“The truth is, this is the failure of the most basic level of diligence,” a law-enforcement source told the
New York Post. “How can you expect the public to feel confident of the mission of the TSA if they don’t even know if the lights are turned on?”
Two planes had to be called back from the runway while hundreds of passengers were rescreened in Terminal 7 of one of the nation’s busiest airports — all because of an unplugged power cord that went unnoticed by a TSA screener, the Post reported.
The TSA screener was identified by the publication as Alija Abdul Majed, who had manned Lane No. 1 during the morning rush. TSA acknowledged only that a metal detector had experienced a “malfunction.”
Eight to 10 flights were delayed as a result of the unplugged power cord, according to the Post, while one passenger bound for Los Angeles tweeted: “How many hours will it take to send a terminal full of people BACK through security.”
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