An investigative team of journalists got forbidden items through TSA screening in three out of four attempts signaling that U.S. airport screening may not be strong enough to catch potential terror attempts,
Today News reports.
After a man in Atlanta accidentally carried a loaded gun onto a commercial flight and the TSA never saw it, investigative reporter Jeff Rossen and his team went undercover to determine how thorough the TSA inspections around the country truly are, Today News reports.
According to the Rossen Reports team, Rossen traveled the country with multiple prohibited items, and in three out of four cases the investigative reporter was able to smuggle forbidden items through the TSA screening.
Today News reports that at the Los Angeles International Airport, Rossen's Swiss Army knife was confiscated, however at Atlanta International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airports items such as a Swiss Army knife, a sharp pair of scissors, and a box cutter – the same weapon used by hijackers in the 9/11 attacks – made it past airport security.
In response to Rossen's findings, aviation security expert Anthony Roman called them a "complete and utter failure of the system."
In a statement to NBC News, TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger added, "It is unacceptable for any prohibited item to pass through security undetected. Both the DHS Office of the Inspector General and TSA frequently conduct testing and evaluations of our screening measures so that we can continuously improve our security screening procedures. As a result of this input, TSA has been implementing systematic changes in how we screen passengers and their baggage in order to better deter, detect, and disrupt any potential threat of terrorism."