<< >> NASA ASRS Report 137688, February 1990

Flight crew member is challenged by airport security at sat regarding his carrying a knife in his flight kit. Knife was confiscated.

Attributes
ACN	137688
Time
Date	199002
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sna
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	137688
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Having no ASRS forms available, I'll have to improvise. This situation may not fall into your areas of interest, but is safety related. On the date above, while clearing security as captain of a flight from sat-iah-jfk, the security personnel asked if I had a knife in my briefcase. I replied in the affirmative, stating that it was part of my personal emergency evacuation equipment, and had been doing so for some 23 yrs. On examination of the knife they said it would be confiscated as it was illegal under texas law. In all 23 yrs of airline flying, both domestic and international, this problem never arose. Having once before used a knife to cut aircraft metal in order to prevent an accident, I've never flown without one. It would appear that some method of security criteria is needed to differentiate flight crew safety equipment from instruments carried by passenger, and supposedly posing a threat. For us to be conversant with all state's statutes on knives is virtually impossible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW MEMBER IS CHALLENGED BY ARPT SECURITY AT SAT REGARDING HIS CARRYING A KNIFE IN HIS FLT KIT. KNIFE WAS CONFISCATED.

Narrative: HAVING NO ASRS FORMS AVAILABLE, I'LL HAVE TO IMPROVISE. THIS SITUATION MAY NOT FALL INTO YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST, BUT IS SAFETY RELATED. ON THE DATE ABOVE, WHILE CLEARING SECURITY AS CAPT OF A FLT FROM SAT-IAH-JFK, THE SECURITY PERSONNEL ASKED IF I HAD A KNIFE IN MY BRIEFCASE. I REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, STATING THAT IT WAS PART OF MY PERSONAL EMER EVACUATION EQUIPMENT, AND HAD BEEN DOING SO FOR SOME 23 YRS. ON EXAMINATION OF THE KNIFE THEY SAID IT WOULD BE CONFISCATED AS IT WAS ILLEGAL UNDER TEXAS LAW. IN ALL 23 YRS OF AIRLINE FLYING, BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL, THIS PROBLEM NEVER AROSE. HAVING ONCE BEFORE USED A KNIFE TO CUT ACFT METAL IN ORDER TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT, I'VE NEVER FLOWN WITHOUT ONE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT SOME METHOD OF SECURITY CRITERIA IS NEEDED TO DIFFERENTIATE FLT CREW SAFETY EQUIPMENT FROM INSTRUMENTS CARRIED BY PAX, AND SUPPOSEDLY POSING A THREAT. FOR US TO BE CONVERSANT WITH ALL STATE'S STATUTES ON KNIVES IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

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.