Narrative:

Security breach at ord. When I arrived at the gate for my trip, the gate agent, ms. X, informed me that she had a passenger who had in their possession a set of knives that they wanted to bring onto the flight. When they made their reservation to abq they said that they were told by the reservation agent that they could stow the knives in the cockpit with no problems. The agent at the gate went on to explain that the knives then made it to the gate when the party carrying the knives ran them through the security chkpoint at ord. When the knives were found, the owner told the security person on duty that it was ok and that they would be stored in the cockpit and not in the cabin. It was then described that the security person allowed the knives through the chkpoint and merely escorted the party with the knives to the gate. The security agent's name was 'Y'. The owner of the knives name was a mrs. 'Z.' I find it absolutely incredulous that a reservation agent would give the captain's permission to carry a set of knives in absentia this way, but am outraged that ord security personnel have no more common sense than to take the word of a no-name passenger, carrying a set of deadly cutlery, that all is well and no problems might occur. The knives in question were described to me as a chef's set ranging in all sizes. If it hadn't been for agent X's professional handling of this situation, it is quite possible that the knives would have got on board undetected if the passenger decided not to say anything. Reservation agents should be informed that they have no [authority/authorized to issue entry permit with lethal weapons].

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT TERMINAL SECURITY PROCS QUESTIONED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A DEV FROM AIRLINE MGMNT POLICIES.

Narrative: SECURITY BREACH AT ORD. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE GATE FOR MY TRIP, THE GATE AGENT, MS. X, INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD A PAX WHO HAD IN THEIR POSSESSION A SET OF KNIVES THAT THEY WANTED TO BRING ONTO THE FLT. WHEN THEY MADE THEIR RESERVATION TO ABQ THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE TOLD BY THE RESERVATION AGENT THAT THEY COULD STOW THE KNIVES IN THE COCKPIT WITH NO PROBS. THE AGENT AT THE GATE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE KNIVES THEN MADE IT TO THE GATE WHEN THE PARTY CARRYING THE KNIVES RAN THEM THROUGH THE SECURITY CHKPOINT AT ORD. WHEN THE KNIVES WERE FOUND, THE OWNER TOLD THE SECURITY PERSON ON DUTY THAT IT WAS OK AND THAT THEY WOULD BE STORED IN THE COCKPIT AND NOT IN THE CABIN. IT WAS THEN DESCRIBED THAT THE SECURITY PERSON ALLOWED THE KNIVES THROUGH THE CHKPOINT AND MERELY ESCORTED THE PARTY WITH THE KNIVES TO THE GATE. THE SECURITY AGENT'S NAME WAS 'Y'. THE OWNER OF THE KNIVES NAME WAS A MRS. 'Z.' I FIND IT ABSOLUTELY INCREDULOUS THAT A RESERVATION AGENT WOULD GIVE THE CAPT'S PERMISSION TO CARRY A SET OF KNIVES IN ABSENTIA THIS WAY, BUT AM OUTRAGED THAT ORD SECURITY PERSONNEL HAVE NO MORE COMMON SENSE THAN TO TAKE THE WORD OF A NO-NAME PAX, CARRYING A SET OF DEADLY CUTLERY, THAT ALL IS WELL AND NO PROBS MIGHT OCCUR. THE KNIVES IN QUESTION WERE DESCRIBED TO ME AS A CHEF'S SET RANGING IN ALL SIZES. IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR AGENT X'S PROFESSIONAL HANDLING OF THIS SIT, IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE KNIVES WOULD HAVE GOT ON BOARD UNDETECTED IF THE PAX DECIDED NOT TO SAY ANYTHING. RESERVATION AGENTS SHOULD BE INFORMED THAT THEY HAVE NO [AUTH TO ISSUE ENTRY PERMIT WITH LETHAL WEAPONS].

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.