By Stephanie Springer - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) –A Delta flight was delayed for a half hour this morning because of concern over the safety of baggage.
Shortly after the luggage was loaded into the plane, security workers spotted a man in a secured area near where the luggage passed through security, so they ordered all bags off the plane to be re-inspected.
This Delta flight was supposed to take off around 11:00am Monday morning. "They loaded most of the luggage and all of a sudden we started seeing them take the luggage off the plane," said Janice Howell, who had a daughter on the plane.
Security workers noticed an unauthorized man standing near the luggage screening area, and they weren't going to take any chances. "They never took off and never closed it up, and they put about 3/4th of the luggage on there and someone came out and took it off the plane," said Jean Fisher, who was waiting for the flight to take off.
Witnesses tell us employees were scurrying around, taking off the luggage and re-screening bags that had just been loaded on to the plane, "There were a couple employees that were kind of freaking out about it," said Christopher Haire, who was waiting for a flight.
Which left some people waiting for the flight to take off, fearing the worst. "Honestly, we were concerned with a bomb threat or if their equipment had malfunctioned," said Fisher.
WALB News 10 has learned that a man interviewing for a job with ASA sparked all the concern. Christopher Haire, who was waiting on a another flight says the man told him what happened. "He said while he was waiting on his interview, one of the employees asked him if he wanted to go to the back, so then the guy went and started putting luggage on the plane going to Atlanta and another gentleman saw him unattended by himself, with the bags," said Haire.
The TSA spotted the man standing in a secured area. ASA says he had an escort. The TSA says he didn't.
Either way, it was enough of a concern that security officers delayed the flight for a half hour so all the luggage on board could be re-scanned.
Some witnesses say they were happy with how quickly this incident was handled, but say it was difficult getting answers.
We spoke with the local ASA official who said the incident was a "supposed security breech" but turned out not to be one. She then referred the calls to corporate.
Witnesses tell us after the incident, all the employees were called upstairs for a meeting.
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