IMPERIAL, Pa. (AP) -- A woman sneaked around a security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport before boarding a Wednesday morning flight to Houston, prompting several flight delays and checkpoint delays before officials figured out what happened.
Continental Airlines was notified that she had boarded a flight, and the woman was screened and interviewed after she arrived in Texas, officials said. She doesn't face criminal charges, but could face a civil penalty of up to $6,000 for circumventing security, officials said.
Airport and U.S. Transportation Security Administration officials didn't identify the woman.
A TSA worker saw her sneak between a magnetometer and an X-ray screening machine about 5:30 a.m. and told a supervisor. About 6:45 a.m. the airport began delaying several flights for up to 15 minutes while they tried to find the woman, but a security videotape later confirmed she had already boarded a 6 a.m. flight. Officials determined the woman's bags were screened, however.
The security checkpoint was then closed from about 7:15 a.m. to 7:35 a.m. to make sure it was secure, leading to longer-than-usual lines.
