Thu, Jun 28, 2012
Policy Says Human Remains Are Never To Be Opened
A man traveling from Florida to Indianapolis with his grandfather's ashes is demanding an apology from TSA after a screener spilled some of the remains on the floor.
Indianapolis resident John Gross had traveled to Florida to bring his grandfather's cremated remains back to Indiana, where he planned to distribute them among family members. The ashes were in a tightly-sealed jar marked "Human Remains," according to multiple media sources including television stations WTHR in Indianapolis and WKMG in Orlando.
While TSA policy strictly prohibits screeners from opening containers of human remains brought to security in carry-on baggage, and specifies the use of the X-ray machine to screen such items, the screener at Orlando International Airport reportedly opened the jar and began sifting through the ashes with her finger. Then, she accidentally spilled the ashes onto the floor in the security area.
Gross says that as much as a third of his grandfather's ashes wound up on the floor, along with some bone fragments. He said he was frantically trying to collect as much of the spilled ashes as he could while the line behind him stalled. Rather than offering assistance, Gross said the screener "laughed" at him as he scrambled to collect the ashes.
Gross has demanded an apology from TSA, and specifically from the woman screener in Orlando. In a statement, TSA said the agency "recognizes the importance of treating human remains with respect and dignity, including those accompanying the remains. For that reason, we use a variety of techniques in the screening process to ensure the safety of all travelers. Under TSA policy, under no circumstance would the container holding the remains be opened. We are looking further into this complaint."
More News
Also: B-29 Superfortress Reunion, FAA Wants Controllers, Spirit Airlines Pulls Back, Gogo Galileo Van's Aircraft posted a short video recapping the goings-on around their reorganiz>[...]
Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
Aircraft Conflict Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 na>[...]