UA Flight attendant arrested for weapon

[Imagolfer]

I hope she has a good lawyer (I'll bet the union saves her job..a management employee would be fired on the spot)

WASHINGTON - A uniformed flight attendant was arrested at Dulles International Airport after she turned herself in for allegedly carrying a concealed handgun aboard a flight from Atlanta, authorities said Saturday.

The Transportation Security Administration, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies were investigating how the gun passed through security unnoticed in Atlanta, TSA spokesman Barry Phelps said. Flight attendants have to go through the same security procedures as all other passengers, he said.

Janet Tucker, 45, of Lithonia, Ga., turned herself in Friday for carrying the weapon on United flight 7591, said Rob Yingling, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. She was in uniform but was not part of the duty crew at the time, he said.

"It seems it was an inadvertent incident, from her description," he said.

Tucker was arrested and cited on charges of having a concealed weapon at the airport. She was interviewed and released on a summons to appear in Loudoun County Court in Virginia at a future date, Yingling said. It was not clear whether a court date had been scheduled and he didn't know whether Tucker had a lawyer.

 

[Borescope]

I hope she has a good lawyer (I'll bet the union saves her job..a management employee would be fired on the spot)

WASHINGTON - A uniformed flight attendant was arrested at Dulles International Airport after she turned herself in for allegedly carrying a concealed handgun aboard a flight from Atlanta, authorities said Saturday.

The Transportation Security Administration, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies were investigating how the gun passed through security unnoticed in Atlanta, TSA spokesman Barry Phelps said. Flight attendants have to go through the same security procedures as all other passengers, he said.

Janet Tucker, 45, of Lithonia, Ga., turned herself in Friday for carrying the weapon on United flight 7591, said Rob Yingling, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. She was in uniform but was not part of the duty crew at the time, he said.

"It seems it was an inadvertent incident, from her description," he said.

Tucker was arrested and cited on charges of having a concealed weapon at the airport. She was interviewed and released on a summons to appear in Loudoun County Court in Virginia at a future date, Yingling said. It was not clear whether a court date had been scheduled and he didn't know whether Tucker had a lawyer.

You didn't hear..........

She said she was an FCCO (Federal Cabin Crew Officer).

 

[DCT JVL]

I hope she has a good lawyer (I'll bet the union saves her job..a management employee would be fired on the spot)

Good thing she has a union then. If not, she'd see a career go down the tubes for what the TSA spokesman said was an "inadvertent incident".

Also, the article doesn't say she works for UA. Just that she is a "uniformed flight attendant". If she was working, UA 7591 is an Express flight operated by Shuttle America.

 

[Fly]

How about the TSA employees that let her slip through security in Atlanta. How did that happen? She turns herself in, and she gets arrested?!? Sounds like the TSA employee in ATL should be the one getting arrested.

 

[mga707]

How about the TSA employees that let her slip through security in Atlanta. How did that happen? She turns herself in, and she gets arrested?!? Sounds like the TSA employee in ATL should be the one getting arrested.

Which begs the obvious (to me, anyway) question: Why in the heck did she turn herself in? Doesn't make sense! Why not just, upon discovering the gun, didn't she just think "Whew, that couldv'e been a nightmare!", and never, EVER, mention it to ANYONE?

 

[FWAAA]

Which begs the obvious (to me, anyway) question: Why in the heck did she turn herself in? Doesn't make sense! Why not just, upon discovering the gun, didn't she just think "Whew, that couldv'e been a nightmare!", and never, EVER, mention it to ANYONE?

I'm guessing it's because she lives near Atlanta but was now in DC with her gun and probably thought the authorities might give her some suggestions for taking it home (without the arrest, of course). Given what she knows now about the authorities possibly "helping" her, she should have just thrown it away in a trash can upon arrival at IAD.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

A TRUE story.

A very close friend of mine, went from BOS/MIA, with wife and child, and took his LEGAL handgun along, packed into the checked bag.

After hurrying to check out, and catch the return flight home, the wife inadvertantly packed the gun in the CARRY on, and strolled...."la-di-da"...through security.

HOLY SH*T !!

After a LOT of explaining, and record checking, all was well.

Thankfully, this was pre 9/11.


NH/BB's

 

[mga707]

I'm guessing it's because she lives near Atlanta but was now in DC with her gun and probably thought the authorities might give her some suggestions for taking it home (without the arrest, of course). Given what she knows now about the authorities possibly "helping" her, she should have just thrown it away in a trash can upon arrival at IAD.

You may be right, but heck, she could've just MAILED it home (unloaded and properly packaged, of course)!

 

[JungleClone]

Amazing......she decided to play the "I forgot the handgun was in my bag" card. How do you forget you put a handgun in your bag? If true. Being that ignorant regarding a firearm should get you fired.

 

[JAMAKE1]

No it shouldn't. I would venture to guess that she is a UAL F/A who commutes to IAD. Being that all of the flights between ATL and IAD are Express, she likely traveled NRSA on Express to get to work. When she realized that the gun was in her bag, she probably thought that she wouldn't be able to get past security once she began her trip assignment. Unlike our politicians in Washington who try to cover up their mistakes, I give the woman credit for stepping up to the plate, realizing she had made a mistake, and turned herself in. I hope she does get her job back. We don't know all of the circumstances behind why she had put the gun into her suitcase in the first place, but at least she realized her her mistake and did the right thing by turning herself in. That takes a level of character and integrity. And thank god she does have collective bargaining backing to represent her. (Fly...nice to see back on these boards...Happy Spring!)

 

[AIRBORN1]

No it shouldn't. I would venture to guess that she is a UAL F/A who commutes to IAD. Being that all of the flights between ATL and IAD are Express, she likely traveled NRSA on Express to get to work. When she realized that the gun was in her bag, she probably thought that she wouldn't be able to get past security once she began her trip assignment. Unlike our politicians in Washington who try to cover up their mistakes, I give the woman credit for stepping up to the plate, realizing she had made a mistake, and turned herself in. I hope she does get her job back. We don't know all of the circumstances behind why she had put the gun into her suitcase in the first place, but at least she realized her her mistake and did the right thing by turning herself in. That takes a level of character and integrity. And thank god she does have collective bargaining backing to represent her. (Fly...nice to see back on these boards...Happy Spring!)

WOW! This explains why i got pulled aside and Customs search my bag as a crew member coming in from Argentina at Dulles. First time ever gettting searched. I almost missed my commuter flight home over it. The guys who carried guys on AA last month out of Orlando and this F/A doing this is what makes the rest of honest crew members suffer. We all pay the price for these mistakes.

 

[JungleClone]

JAMAKE1,

Yes it should. Post-9/11, FA's are expected to be well-versed in security procedures. They, along with pilots, more than anyone else, should know the ramifications of bringing a firearm onto an aircraft. So the fact that this FA was that careless about a firearm is troubling. You can make all the excuses you want and "what if" it to death, but it's difficult to rationalize accidentally putting a firearm into your crew bag and bringing it onto the airplane. If it were a non-union employee who did that, they'd be fired no questions asked.

 

[phasersonstun2]

You didn't hear..........

She said she was an FCCO (Federal Cabin Crew Officer).

She was a FCKN crazy.

 

[AIRBORN1]

She was a FCKN crazy.

ok- the scoop was she was going to kuwait that night and she decided she better tell tsa before heading to kuwait. otherwise in kuwait she would have been probably put in prison coming in or going in kuwait. They also make you send your bags through xray there on arrival. stupid... she should get fired. sorry it's just stupid ..... Remember who packed her bag? Always the questions when you go intl as passenagers....

 

[IORFA]

Wasn't the MCO incident Comair instead of AA?