Edhat Staff
(Photo: SB County)
A loaded handgun was found inside a female passenger’s carry-on bag at the Santa Barbara Airport last Friday.
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer discovered the gun during a routine screening on February 9 at 4:30 p.m., reports KEYT News.
The officer contacted Santa Barbara Airport Patrol and discovered the gun was a 9mm Glock 43 pistol that was loaded with seven rounds of ammunition and one in the chamber.
The female passenger was traveling to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Federal TSA rules state the traveler must declare each firearm when presented for transport. Regulations also state:
“Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only. As defined by 49 CFR 1540.5 a loaded firearm has a live round of ammunition, or any component thereof, in the chamber or cylinder or in a magazine inserted in the firearm. Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations.
Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.”
The woman was cited, the gun was confiscated, and she was allowed to continue her flight to Phoenix.
This is mind blowing. Any time someone gets arrested for DUI, everyone here starts shrieking for the “10 years minimum” or the death penalty. Someone tries to board a passenger plane with a LOADED GUN, with a round in the CHAMBER, and “oh well” and “dumb mistake”…….
Still playing down your drunk driving, eh?
Not “playing down” anything, just pointing out the difference in types of responses to different crimes. Why do you feel the need to accuse me of a crime? What’s wrong with you?
SHOREBIRD – because carrying a loaded (and ready to fire) hand gun on to a passenger plane is apparently not that big a deal. I’m totally amazed she was able to board the plane and carry on as if nothing had happened. She must not have been very “ethnic” looking…..
She had a round in the chamber! There could have been a very tragic accident.
If we had rational laws, she would never be allowed to own a concealable firearm again.
A rational law would require jail time for such an egregious violation of federal law. A round in the chamber while boarding a passenger plane and she’s still allowed to walk free?! Unbelievable!
“she clearly didn’t have intent” – hahaha, are you serious??? You think she accidentally chambered a round and then unknowingly packed it in her carry on? Come on, don’t be absurd.
I suppose these comments make sense considering you can’t get a CCW if you’re a SB County resident, but carrying a pistol with a round in the chamber is the preferred way to carry a concealed firearm because if you need to defend yourself you do not have time to chamber a round let alone load the gun then chamber a round. A Glock 43 is very safe with a chambered round provided the trigger is covered. It’s unfortunate that people who know little to nothing about firearms vote on firearm related laws.
Yeah, and nothing in your bag has entered the space between the trigger guard and the dual trigger/safety. But you can’t see that through the bag. In a holster, cocked and locked might not be so bad, but in this case, with no separate safety, there’s no excuse, no matter how hard you try. And if you have the ten seconds to fumble it out of the bag, the extra half second to chamber a round is nothing. Having to use a gun in a panic means you haven’t taken the time to do any thinking about the predicament you’re putting yourself in.
Fred – so I suppose you are an expert in every subject matter on which you vote? Please, spare us the holier than thou NRA BS. Carrying a loaded gun on to a plane is illegal for a reason, chambered round or not.
People who really know a lot about firearms know that it’s insanity to let civilians who think they know about firearms carry them around in a civilized society, concealed or not. Maybe in Mogadishu, but not in Goleta.
Just another responsible gun owner.
News is coming in now about 20 injured in a mass shooting TODAY in a Florida high school. But please, by all means, keep defending this moron who INTENTIONALLY tried to bring a loaded gun on a passenger plane. I’m sure the families of the children being shot today at school would love to hear more of your opinions about guns…..
Anyone carrying a gun should also know TSA rules, which supports the idea that this was just a mistake. I accidentally brought a pocket knife through security because I always have it on me. I don’t think I Should be added to a no fly, knife ban list.
This has NOTHING to do with the article! This wins “the most embarrassing post” for today! How can you possibly connect a mass shooter/murderer to someone who accidentally carried something onto a plane that she probably carries with her at all other times!? How do you know she intentionally did it? More assumptions and straw man arguments.
How do you know this was deliberate and brought through security on purpose? More straw man arguments.
FRED – it was the best place here to post the update about today’s tragedy. Sorry if that offended you. As for her intentionally taking a loaded gun on the plane, are you freaking serious?! Do you honestly, with a straight face, think she accidentally and unwittingly loaded her gun, chambered a round, and put it in her carry on bag? Seriously? That’s hardly an “assumption.” Please spare us the BS.
Oh, and as for “embarrassing posts” – I think trying to say this was not intentional pretty much takes the cake for the dumbest thing I’ve seen written here today. You win, congratulations!
Great point, I hadn’t looked that up but just did… I don’t see any recalls for the Glock 43. There was something about the magazine being recalled over insertion problems but that would only make it harder to load. If you have a link I’d like to read it (I’m being honest) BUT… Do you know what an accidental discharge is? It means someone shot their gun when they didn’t mean to. It doesn’t mean the gun shot itself. Usually for something like a Glock it means something pressed the trigger by accident (finger, shirt when reholstering, etc). You can literally drag a Glock behind a truck and it won’t go off unless the trigger is pressed.
Right… This was the only place on the Internet to update people about the shooting. Obviously you know nothing about carrying a concealed weapon. Chambering a round happens every single time before you holster. Every. Single. Time. Otherwise you’re carrying a paper weight. My point is that it’s not something you dwell on throughout the day.
If you can’t remember where your gun is (which is the only scenario that supports this being “unintentional”), then you have ZERO business owning a gun! Why is that so hard to understand Fred?
When someone comments at how shocking and dangerous it is for someone else to be carrying a Glock with a chambered round, they don’t know anything (or at least, enough) about carrying a concealed weapon. Try me. Who on this thread thinks carrying a loaded glock is a bad idea and also has their CCW?
Sorry, someone else already won that award.
Fwed, Fwed, Fwed. As an eminent handgun guru, you’re surely aware that Glock has become the Poster Boy for accidental discharge. As such, several law enforcement agencies no longer allow Glocks as service weapons. All Glock handguns feature the same integrated safety/trigger design, which they market as “no need to disengage a safety catch”, along with “light trigger pull”. From a mechanical engineering viewpoint, it may be considered clever, but from an ergonomics and user interface perspective, it’s a recipe for disaster; a single point failure mode, intimately intertwining the firing actuator with the safety.
I have two secure range bags at home and two safes. I’m pretty sure I removed my firearm from secure bag #2 and placed it in safe #1 last night but I’m not 100% sure… So I guess that means I have no business owning a gun. I’ll be sure to turn them all in this afternoon because of your opinion.
“Sorry, someone else already won that award.” – that someone is you FREDDY boy! To say that someone unintentionally (that word is the opposite of the word “intentionally”) packed a loaded gun in to their carry on luggage is seriously the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a while. Well, that is assuming everything else you say about this fine woman is true, regarding her outstanding gun knowledge and abilities given that she had a CCW permit. So, are you lying about how “responsible” she must have been to get that CCW in the first place, or are you lying about how this could easily be “unintentional?” Which is it? Can’t be both!
Which agencies banned Glocks? I seriously couldn’t find it online. Not that it matters though, my entire point is people are ready to crucify her for carrying a loaded gun like the fact that it’s loaded is the main problem here. “She had a gun?! AND it was loaded?!”
LOL I love the inference about what I think. Her being irresponsible is definitely an issue with me, but she shouldn’t be put on the no fly list snd I’m not surprised she was only cited and released.
A CCW let’s law enforcement know the person most likely isn’t a criminal because off all the background checks, the interview, the classes etc. I made no comment about how responsible I think she is because I don’t know her. And I’m just guessing she was cited and released because she has her permit
And based in your comment, you are not one of those people who know a lot about firearms. You think Goleta is so safe? Lol Go ask any sheriff dept about CCW permits and I bet they’ll tell you the same thing they have ALL told me – they want good people to be armed.
And based in your comment, you are not one of those people who know a lot about firearms. You think Goleta is so safe? Lol Go ask any sheriff dept about CCW permits and I bet they’ll tell you the same thing they have ALL told me – they want good people to be armed.
I forgot about the edhat commenters reliance on straw man arguments… I never said it shouldn’t be illegal to carry a gun on a flight and my comment has nothing to do with the NRA (of which I am not a member).
Yes, I am an expert on everything I vote on, especially if it has the potential to take away people’s Constitutional rights, and you should be too.
Did you seriously compare 1st degree murder with this woman getting a citation? LOL. Another straw man fallacy . Why are people on here making things up, claiming it’s how I think then using that fabrication to argue against me? Nice ad hominem too.
” And if you have the ten seconds to fumble it out of the bag, the extra half second to chamber a round is nothing.”
Man… it’s painful reading your comments. What kind of bag was her gun in? Was it a CCW purse, fanny pack, backpack (these exist, and they protect the trigger)? Does it always take 10 seconds to draw from a CCW bag and do you always fumble when doing so? How do you know the level of this person’s training or have fast she can draw? “In this case there’s no excuse” for what LOL?! That last bit about how being in a panic automatically means you haven’t taken the time to… I’m not even sure what you’re saying but somehow it means the person didn’t think about something?! What the actual he.ll?
THIS people… THIS is what I’m talking about. This person has almost no idea what they’re saying (other than googling what a Glock 43 trigger safety is), yet they’ve come to many conclusions about firearms safety, available equipment, training and active shooter protection in high stress situations. Please… please take a handgun safety course before you vote on any firearms related laws in the future.
Fred – so you must be a medical Dr., lawyer, CPA, CEO of a major corporation, political analyst, and so many other professions having “expertise” in the subject matters on which we vote. My my, good job Fred! You must be the most successful man alive! Or you’re just full of it and think you are some kind of self taught “expert” simply because you, like most of us, read about the issues before voting on them. Wow, how high is that horse of yours?
WHY does everyone want to know her name? Can’t wait to start your anti-gun doxing crusade? Let me explain what cops think when someone hands them a CCW permit:
“Ok this person has gone through – and been cleared by – extensive state and federal background checks, and an in person interview with the Sheriff’s dept which determined their state of mind and moral character. The Sgt could have ordered a psych evaluation but probably didn’t or that evaluation determined that they were in good mental health. They’ve gone through and passed the required, state approved classroom and live fire training and the sheriff’s department sent deputies to their house to verify their residency. This CA permit is honored by 22 other states because those states agree that this person in good standing. And they’ve done ALL of this because they wants to do things legally and by the book because they’re obviously a law abiding citizen.”
That’s who this article is about. This person made a mistake by not checking her firearm… that is all.
Considering this is Edhat someone will no doubt nit pick about that “law abiding” part but ask yourself if you’ve ever been cited for an infraction like this woman was – and if so, does that mean you are no longer a law abiding person in general? Because I have a feeling most sane people would answer “no” to that question.
It’s abundantly clear that gun worshipers can rationalize any behavior. Mr. Fred, speaking of strawmen, has no clue about the firearms familiarity and expertise of any of the commenters here besides himself, and that is obviously an inflated view. If you’re following this story, you’d know that the woman’s CCW was issued in Arizona, and if you are aware of their CCW requirements, you know how specious Fred’s claims are as to their rigor.
This person that brought a LOADED GUN in her carry on luggage is an ABSOLUTE IDIOT and should have their CCW permit yanked! If she can not handle this basic function of being smart enough to REMEMBER that she has a loaded weapon in her possession, then she is probably not smart enough to remember simple basic safety pointers like leaving the gun laying around the house for some kid to pick up and accidentally shoot themselves.. which is unfortunately a very common occurrence. She obviously is not fit to have a CCW.
Fred has such a wealth of knowledge that he feels no need to Google “Glock recall + accidental discharge”
Anyone connected to law enforcement would know TSA rules.
Anyone connected to law enforcement would know TSA rules.