PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A passenger at Portland International Airport somehow managed to get a meat cleaver through a security checkpoint last week, prompting an investigation by the Transportation Security Administration.
It wasn’t until after this person boarded an aircraft that the meat cleaver was discovered.
“TSA is aware that a passenger departing Portland International Airport on Thursday Nov. 13 passed through the security checkpoint with a meat cleaver in their carry-on bag. We take this matter very seriously,” a representative for the TSA wrote in a statement obtained by Nexstar’s KOIN. “We are reviewing the incident, and once we determine the circumstances surrounding this event, we will take appropriate corrective action that could include additional training of the security screening workforce.”
A TSA spokesperson had no further update into the investigation as of Thursday, Nov. 20.
As a result of the security lapse, passengers were deplaned and re-screened before being allowed back on the flight. The TSA representative did not disclose whether the meat cleaver was confiscated, nor whether its owner faces possible repercussions.
The TSA, meanwhile, has very clear guidelines for passengers hoping to travel or transport kitchen knives and even meat cleavers, specifically. Not surprisingly, the latter is not allowed in carry-on baggage, but only checked bags with proper packaging.
“Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors,” reads a guideline on the “Meat Cleaver” webpage of the TSA’s “What Can I Bring?” section.