A closer eye on exits kept after breach at Lambert

ST. LOUIS -- Two National Guard soldiers at Lambert Airport stood watch Friday afternoon where none had the night before, when a security breach caused the evacuation of thousands of passengers and delayed as many as 70 flights.

Police at Lambert blamed the breach, which affected about 4,000 passengers, on human error. Chief Paul Mason said screeners and National Guard troops were not focused on the exit lane of C Concourse, where an unidentified man bypassed security by re-entering the airport's busiest wing.

The screeners noticed the mistake about 30 seconds later, but the man, thought to be carrying a black computer bag, had disappeared into the crowd. Mason said American Airlines was responsible for the concourse where the breach occurred.

Officials evacuated the concourse, which houses most of American Airlines' hub operation, and began searching for the man. He remained at large Friday and Mason said the chances of catching him were slim.

"I think when you have human beings involved, you have the possibility of human error," Mason said. "I would classify it as human error, yes."

Employee disciplined

The Federal Aviation Administration requires a screener to watch concourse exits at all times. American Airlines spokeswoman Julia Bishop-Cross said a security employee who was supposed to be at that post has been disciplined, and the airport has revoked the employee's security badge.

Mason said airport police were working with American to ensure that Thursday night's mistake doesn't happen again. A full-time National Guard soldier, from the troops deployed by Gov. Bob Holden after the Sept. 11 attacks, would henceforth be watching the exit lane, Mason said.

American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, Texas, said Friday that it will install a motion detection system at the exit to the C concourse. The system sets off an alarm whenever someone walks the wrong way through the exit, Bishop-Cross said.

Starting Feb. 17, the new Transportation Security Administration, rather than the airlines, will hire private security companies to staff the airport checkpoints. The government must phase in federal employees to replace the private guards by Nov. 19.