TSA Conducts ‘Inappropriate’ Screening at BNA FBOs

[captain dad]

TSA Conducts ‘Inappropriate’ Screening at BNA FBOs
Transportation Security Administration officials conducted unauthorized screening of passengers and flight crew at FBOs at Nashville International Airport in December and January, according to NBAA. The screening included checking “a number of pilots and passengers with wands and actual baggage searches,” NBAA vice president of safety, security and regulation Doug Carr noted in an e-mail to members. Signature Flight Support confirmed the accuracy of Carr’s description of events at Nashville. A TSA spokesman told AIN that inspectors “did badge verification of employees and pilots but not any hand-wanding of passengers.” The bag searches, he said, were to make “sure that nothing that poses a threat is in those bags.” According to Carr, “We can confirm that based on discussions held with TSA that this kind of screening was inappropriate and should not have happened. The local TSA officials were acting beyond the guidance provided by headquarters.” The TSA effort at Nashville stemmed from a TSA document called the Playbook, which outlined TSA plans for random screenings at FBOs and hangars, originally planned at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn. After NBAA raised concerns about the Playbook, the TSA decided not to go ahead with the Bradley inspections, Carr explained.

 

[say again]

TSA-holes strike again. What a bunch of friggin' morons.

 

[brokeflyer]

im glad they are doing this, ya never know what your pax have in their bags.

 

[Crash Pad]

Broke, you should worry more about what gets through on the commercial flights you take to and fro work than what pax have in the frax. Jeez, doesn't NJ check everyone that flies 135 on your planes?

 

[fischman]

I think he is kidding.

All of our owners (91K and 135) are screened against the no-fly list.

I think the crew is too because on ferry legs there is a list shown as well.

 

[pa30flying]

So what rights do pilots have when going thru security? Is TSA allowed to have free will? I tried to do a search on written rules and regulations, but was unsuccessful. Any information would be great. Thanks!

 

[wacoflyr]

This is a good question. As a guy with a libertarian bent, I would resent, and possibly refuse to allow anybody to search my baggage at an FBO. What are my rights? I understand I am subject to search airlining to and from work, but while I do my job? Can I refuse this, and tell them to go piss up a rope, or what? Anybody know?

Wacoflyr

 

[HSDriver]

So what rights do pilots have when going thru security? Is TSA allowed to have free will? I tried to do a search on written rules and regulations, but was unsuccessful. Any information would be great. Thanks!

I believe in this regard you have no rights. That is the problem with the TSA. They can even revoke your Pilot certificates and you have no recourse. We really need to put a stop to this or there will be no general aviation.

 

[ultrarunner]

This is a good question. As a guy with a libertarian bent, I would resent, and possibly refuse to allow anybody to search my baggage at an FBO. What are my rights? I understand I am subject to search airlining to and from work, but while I do my job? Can I refuse this, and tell them to go piss up a rope, or what? Anybody know?

Wacoflyr

The fourth amendment protects us from this behavior! Some TSA prick requests to search my bag when I walk into work I will politely refuse. Simple as that. Then we'll start making phone calls up the ladder! A quick call to 911 to get the local law enforcement involved, etc... Yep, it won't be pretty...but we have to take a stand.

 

[Mvich]

The fourth amendment protects us from this behavior! Some TSA prick requests to search my bag when I walk into work I will politely refuse. Simple as that. Then we'll start making phone calls up the ladder! A quick call to 911 to get the local law enforcement involved, etc... Yep, it won't be pretty...but we have to take a stand.

Unfortunately it's not that simple anymore. That's why we need to do everything possible to stop LASP before it starts. At the end of the day what we have here is a huge bureaucracy looking to expand. The news is filled with occurrences of the TSA overstepping (here is another example) but thus far no one has reined them in. Notice also that the TSA doesn't show any interest in protecting our borders except from inside a nice comfy air conditioned airport terminal.
I would love to find out I'm wrong about this - let me know how that "polite refusal" thing works out for you.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

This is a good question. As a guy with a libertarian bent, I would resent, and possibly refuse to allow anybody to search my baggage at an FBO. What are my rights? I understand I am subject to search airlining to and from work, but while I do my job? Can I refuse this, and tell them to go piss up a rope, or what? Anybody know?

Wacoflyr

I think you probably could, but they would most likely deny you access to the AOA. I don't know this for a fact.

 

[dispatchguy]

Do we actually expect, after all of these incidents of the TSA overstepping their bounds, scaling the outsides of airplanes, and generally being ******************************bags, to actually do ANYTHING within their bounds?

I mean yeah, that would be nice if an organization WE PAY FOR would be responsible to us, but I guess that ship has sailed....

 

[340drvr]

".......huge bureaucracy looking to expand......"
is exactly right. With airlines cutting flights, the Gestapo is certainly trying to ensure their immunity to layoffs or staff reductions by increasing the reach of their iron claw.

 

[BeeDubya]

The fourth amendment protects us from this behavior! Some TSA prick requests to search my bag when I walk into work I will politely refuse. Simple as that. Then we'll start making phone calls up the ladder! A quick call to 911 to get the local law enforcement involved, etc... Yep, it won't be pretty...but we have to take a stand.

The Fourth Amendment protects us from "unreasonable" searches. The "reasonableness" standard is not a bright-line rule and tends to vary based on a number of circumstances, including voluntary submission to a search, public security/safety concerns -- both of which seem to apply at airports -- and the intrusiveness of the search.

The reasonableness standard is applied differently to those entering the country (including US citizens at a Point of Entry such as an International Airport) than those already in the country.

While I'm sure you may refuse a search at any airport, I doubt you'd be able to convincingly and concurrently argue a right to proceed beyond the checkpoint without a search.

 

[gret]

BeeDubya....

We may not like it, but you are dead on right.

 

[e=mc2]

You always have the right to decline to proceed and pick up your stuff and leave. They have no authority once you exit the security checkpoint. If they want to hassel you they have to call airport police and you can be long gone before they arrive.

Besides I didn't think they had Tubs to Stack at the FBO?

Idiots!

 

[Hung Start]

Look guys, it is just a government make-work program for the retarded.

Keeps them off the street, trying to stop you at an intersection to wash your windshield.

At least at the airport, I'm getting paid to be delayed.

Hung

 

[cldsfr79]

I'm getting tired of all this power that TSA has been given. Hopefully the new administration will rethink all the freedoms that the last president took from us.

Us fractional guys have all been through FBI background checks and get reexamined every time we step into a flight simulator. That alone should prevent us from being searched and harassed by TSA.

Our passengers on 135 flights getting checked against the no-fly list every time. If their name comes up clean, they should be left alone.

If I ever see one of these TSA guys by my plane, they will not have permission to board the aircraft until I contact the local/airport police to have them identified and verify their operation at the airport that day.

 

[FLYLOW22]

Go Doug!! Thank you!!

Now, can we borrow you to help NJA with CMH TSA?

 

[Captainzero1]

While I am no fan of thousands standing around, I am amused with the responses of the TSA going above and beyond. Do we really have our priorities straight here. The former administration approved warrantless wiretapping of american citizens and you guys start having a cow over the tsa doing wanding and id verification. Where was the outrage when the last admin was taking away your rights in order to protect you.