UNITED STATES NEWS

Calif. terminal bomb scare blamed on oxygen tanks

Feb 24, 2012, 11:54 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Oxygen tanks in an elderly woman’s bag caused a bomb scare Friday that led to a partial shutdown of a San Francisco International Airport terminal and delayed several flights, airport officials said.

Security screeners saw two metal cylinders with wires attached during an X-ray scan of the woman’s bag, airport spokesman Mike McCarron said. When questioned, the woman said she did not know what the items were.

“She said, `I don’t know what’s in there because I didn’t pack the bag,'” McCarron said. “That’s a big red flag.”

The security checkpoint for Delta Airlines flights in Terminal One was closed off around 11:30 a.m., and a bomb squad was called to the scene. The checkpoint was reopened two hours later when it was determined the tanks posed no danger.

The woman was allowed to continue on her travels, McCarron said.

During the shutdown, passengers getting off Delta flights were taken on buses to other gates, McCarron said. Passengers boarding Delta flights were routed through other security checkpoints and bussed to their planes. The shutdown delayed six flights, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said.

David Smith, 31, arrived at the airport Friday afternoon to fly home to Washington, D.C. He was stopped by police who were keeping passengers away from the checkpoint. As he waited, Smith saw traffic also being stopped from driving up to the drop-off area as a bomb squad truck sat outside.

“They’ve been pushing us about 100 yards at a time, pushing people back from the Delta security screening area,” Smith said.

Benedict Corpuz works as a flight attendant for another airline. He was at the airport on his day off to meet a friend and watched the drama unfold. He said he didn’t think the shutdown would prove especially disruptive, since fog so often causes delays in San Francisco anyway.

“Today is such a clear day, I think you’d get right back on track after this,” Corpuz, 31, said.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

United States News

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in ...

Associated Press

OpenAI looks across US for sites to build its Trump-backed Stargate AI data centers

OpenAI is scouring the U.S. for sites to build a network of huge data centers to power its artificial intelligence technology, expanding beyond a flagship Texas location and looking across 16 states to accelerate the Stargate project championed by President Donald Trump. The maker of ChatGPT put out a request for proposals and began visiting […]

14 minutes ago

File - In this June 30, 2011 file photo is an exterior view of San Jose State University in San Jos...

Associated Press

San Jose State and Penn face inquiries in Trump crackdown on transgender athletes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is investigating potential civil rights violations at two universities and a high school sports league that allowed transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams, the Education Department said Thursday. The agency is opening reviews at San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. […]

26 minutes ago

Associated Press

Man charged after pregnant woman dies in attempt to cross US-Canada border

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — A man extradited from Canada was arraigned on human smuggling charges Thursday in the case of a 33-year-old pregnant woman found dead in a frigid northern New York river after she illegally crossed the border, according to federal authorities. The body of Ana Vasquez-Flores of Mexico was found in the Great […]

26 minutes ago

FILE - A lone home stands among residences levelled by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesd...

Associated Press

‘Voice of the CDC’ resumes publication, but experts worry about what they’re not hearing

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal scientific publication on Thursday returned from a forced two-week hiatus with two papers examining the health effects of wildfires in Hawaii and California. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resumed the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which the Trump administration suspended as part of a “pause” on regulations, […]

53 minutes ago

Associated Press

Providence and hospital doctors reach tentative agreement in Oregon’s 27-day health care strike

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Providence and dozens of doctors at a hospital in Portland, Oregon, have reached a tentative agreement after 27 days of strike, bringing what has been described as the state’s largest health care strike closer to a potential end, depending on union ratification. The tentative agreement with hospital doctors and palliative care […]

1 hour ago

FILE - The smartphone apps DeepSeek page is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 2...

Associated Press

House lawmakers push to ban AI app DeepSeek from US government devices

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan duo in the the U.S. House is proposing legislation to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek from federal devices, similar to the policy already in place for the popular social media platform TikTok. Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., on Thursday introduced the “No DeepSeek on Government […]

1 hour ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

Calif. terminal bomb scare blamed on oxygen tanks