Uniformed Flight Attendant Brought Gun On Flight And Was Arrested At Dulles Int'l Airport

Saturday, March 31st 2007, 6:40 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A uniformed flight attendant was arrested at Dulles International Airport after she turned herself in for allegedly carrying a concealed handgun aboard a flight from Atlanta, authorities said Saturday.

The Transportation Security Administration, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies were investigating how the gun passed through security unnoticed in Atlanta, TSA spokesman Barry Phelps said. Flight attendants have to go through the same security procedures as all other passengers, he said.

Janet Tucker, 45, of Lithonia, Ga., turned herself in Friday for carrying the weapon on United flight 7591, said Rob Yingling, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. She was in uniform but was not part of the duty crew at the time, he said.

``It seems it was an inadvertent incident, from her description,'' he said.

Tucker was arrested and cited on charges of having a concealed weapon at the airport. She was interviewed and released on a summons to appear in Loudoun County Court in Virginia at a future date, Yingling said. It was not clear whether a court date had been scheduled and he didn't know whether Tucker had a lawyer.

United Airlines spokesman Jeff Kovick said a United employee had been arrested but would not confirm any other information.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport spokesman Herschel Grangent had no further comment. A telephone message seeking comment from FBI officials in Atlanta was not immediately returned.