A bomb scare that shut down security checkpoints for two hours at the world's busiest airport was the result of a computer software glitch, the nation's top security administrator said Thursday.
Transportation Security Administration Director Kip Hawley said a screener at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport spotted what looked like an explosive Wednesday on an X-ray machine.
She pressed a button that should have signaled a routine security test was being conducted but it failed to respond, Hawley said. The screener notified her supervisor of the suspicious image on the X-ray machine monitor.
Officials then closed security checkpoints for two hours. By the time checkpoints reopened, no planes had departed for more than an hour and all arrivals were delayed by at least 90 minutes. At least 120 flights were affected, officials said.
Hawley apologized for the delays but said he was pleased with the performance of the TSA screeners in Atlanta.
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