Narrative:

I have been informed on 12/sat/88 by the FAA that I am required to file an aviation safety report within 10 days. Since I was never informed that this was a requirement I am filing the report within 10 days of notification. On 8/wed/88, at about XA10 pm, my wife and I approached the security chkpoint at smf and submitted an overnight bag for security inspection. Contained therein, as discovered by the xray operator, was a .357 magnum revolver, loaded with 6 rounds of ammunition. We were shocked and had no idea that the revolver was in the carry on. My wife and I returned from a camping trip a few days prior to 8/wed/88. The revolver was in a black vinyl case and it was packed in a black leather overnight bag. She packed in a rush on the night on 8/tue/88 for a business trip for the 2 of us to dallas. Because of the same colors of the bag and the revolver case, she did not see it in the bottom of the bag and inadvertently left it in. The revolver was left in the bag by mistake and detected at the xray station. We were detained and questioned by both the sheriff's department and the fbi. At the conclusion of the questioning, both agencies elected not to file charges or issue a citation and returned the revolver and ammunition to us. I locked the revolver in the truck of the car and placed the ammunition in the glove compartment. We then continued on to dallas. We were told by the authorities nothing was required on our part and that they would file a report with the FAA and that we would be contacted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: learned the reporter is a private pilot and FAA inspector had told him if he had filed a report it would have given him immunity even though he was traveling as passenger. FAA is following up and have proposed a $2500 fine. Reporter has offered to pay $500 and has now requested a hearing with FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FLYING AS PASSENGER INADVERTENTLY LEFT LOADED FIREARM IN CARRYING BAGGAGE WHICH WAS DISCOVERED BY ARPT SECURITY.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN INFORMED ON 12/SAT/88 BY THE FAA THAT I AM REQUIRED TO FILE AN AVIATION SAFETY RPT WITHIN 10 DAYS. SINCE I WAS NEVER INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A REQUIREMENT I AM FILING THE RPT WITHIN 10 DAYS OF NOTIFICATION. ON 8/WED/88, AT ABOUT XA10 PM, MY WIFE AND I APCHED THE SECURITY CHKPOINT AT SMF AND SUBMITTED AN OVERNIGHT BAG FOR SECURITY INSPECTION. CONTAINED THEREIN, AS DISCOVERED BY THE XRAY OPERATOR, WAS A .357 MAGNUM REVOLVER, LOADED WITH 6 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. WE WERE SHOCKED AND HAD NO IDEA THAT THE REVOLVER WAS IN THE CARRY ON. MY WIFE AND I RETURNED FROM A CAMPING TRIP A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO 8/WED/88. THE REVOLVER WAS IN A BLACK VINYL CASE AND IT WAS PACKED IN A BLACK LEATHER OVERNIGHT BAG. SHE PACKED IN A RUSH ON THE NIGHT ON 8/TUE/88 FOR A BUSINESS TRIP FOR THE 2 OF US TO DALLAS. BECAUSE OF THE SAME COLORS OF THE BAG AND THE REVOLVER CASE, SHE DID NOT SEE IT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG AND INADVERTENTLY LEFT IT IN. THE REVOLVER WAS LEFT IN THE BAG BY MISTAKE AND DETECTED AT THE XRAY STATION. WE WERE DETAINED AND QUESTIONED BY BOTH THE sheriff'S DEPT AND THE FBI. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE QUESTIONING, BOTH AGENCIES ELECTED NOT TO FILE CHARGES OR ISSUE A CITATION AND RETURNED THE REVOLVER AND AMMUNITION TO US. I LOCKED THE REVOLVER IN THE TRUCK OF THE CAR AND PLACED THE AMMUNITION IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. WE THEN CONTINUED ON TO DALLAS. WE WERE TOLD BY THE AUTHORITIES NOTHING WAS REQUIRED ON OUR PART AND THAT THEY WOULD FILE A RPT WITH THE FAA AND THAT WE WOULD BE CONTACTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: LEARNED THE RPTR IS A PVT PLT AND FAA INSPECTOR HAD TOLD HIM IF HE HAD FILED A RPT IT WOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM IMMUNITY EVEN THOUGH HE WAS TRAVELING AS PAX. FAA IS FOLLOWING UP AND HAVE PROPOSED A $2500 FINE. RPTR HAS OFFERED TO PAY $500 AND HAS NOW REQUESTED A HEARING WITH FAA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.