Narrative:

Airport security detected a firearm in my luggage while processing it through their x-ray machine. When questioned about such a device in my luggage, I told them I was not aware of its existence. Upon physical search, they removed a small 25 caliber pistol from my baggage where it had been encased in a small toiletry bag without my knowledge to keep it out of sight of visitors to my home. In preparation for an airline trip on this date, I did not thoroughly inspect this toiletry bag prior to packing it in my suitcase, therefore was totally unaware of its existence. Airport police were called by airport security, detaining me until the airport police evaluated the situation and then wrote a report and contacting the FAA office in nashville to alert them to the situation. I was advised that having this firearm in my baggage violated FARS and that I would be contacted by an FAA officer, possibly being fined for the infraction. Being a pilot and knowing the reasons for and details of the FARS I would have never had a firearm in my suitcase, and certainly would have known it would be detected when the suitcase was processed through the x-ray machine. I am reporting this infraction of the FARS to NASA to offset any FAA penalties which may be imposed as a result of this unfortunate circumstance. The airport police did not arrest me or book the incident, but were required to notify the FAA of the incident. The airport police returned the pistol to my automobile and escorted me to the terminal to continue my flight, although later than expected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT SCREENING FOUND FIREARM PISTOL IN A PAX BAG RESULTING IN ARPT POLICE INVESTIGATION AND THE PISTOL LEFT IN PAX CAR PRIOR TO HIM BOARDING A LATER FLT.

Narrative: ARPT SECURITY DETECTED A FIREARM IN MY LUGGAGE WHILE PROCESSING IT THROUGH THEIR X-RAY MACHINE. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT SUCH A DEVICE IN MY LUGGAGE, I TOLD THEM I WAS NOT AWARE OF ITS EXISTENCE. UPON PHYSICAL SEARCH, THEY REMOVED A SMALL 25 CALIBER PISTOL FROM MY BAGGAGE WHERE IT HAD BEEN ENCASED IN A SMALL TOILETRY BAG WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP IT OUT OF SIGHT OF VISITORS TO MY HOME. IN PREPARATION FOR AN AIRLINE TRIP ON THIS DATE, I DID NOT THOROUGHLY INSPECT THIS TOILETRY BAG PRIOR TO PACKING IT IN MY SUITCASE, THEREFORE WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF ITS EXISTENCE. ARPT POLICE WERE CALLED BY ARPT SECURITY, DETAINING ME UNTIL THE ARPT POLICE EVALUATED THE SIT AND THEN WROTE A RPT AND CONTACTING THE FAA OFFICE IN NASHVILLE TO ALERT THEM TO THE SIT. I WAS ADVISED THAT HAVING THIS FIREARM IN MY BAGGAGE VIOLATED FARS AND THAT I WOULD BE CONTACTED BY AN FAA OFFICER, POSSIBLY BEING FINED FOR THE INFRACTION. BEING A PLT AND KNOWING THE REASONS FOR AND DETAILS OF THE FARS I WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD A FIREARM IN MY SUITCASE, AND CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD BE DETECTED WHEN THE SUITCASE WAS PROCESSED THROUGH THE X-RAY MACHINE. I AM RPTING THIS INFRACTION OF THE FARS TO NASA TO OFFSET ANY FAA PENALTIES WHICH MAY BE IMPOSED AS A RESULT OF THIS UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE. THE ARPT POLICE DID NOT ARREST ME OR BOOK THE INCIDENT, BUT WERE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE FAA OF THE INCIDENT. THE ARPT POLICE RETURNED THE PISTOL TO MY AUTOMOBILE AND ESCORTED ME TO THE TERMINAL TO CONTINUE MY FLT, ALTHOUGH LATER THAN EXPECTED.

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.