9-year-old runaway boards plane at Minneapolis-St. Paul airport without ticket, flies to Vegas

[exneophyte]

Probably was just trying to get to NJC.

http://www.startribune.com/local/226655651.html

MINNEAPOLIS — A 9-year-old runaway went through security, boarded a plane at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport without a ticket and flew to Las Vegas, an airport spokesman said Sunday.

Security officials screened the Minneapolis boy at the airport shortly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday after he arrived via light rail, Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesman Patrick Hogan said. The boy then boarded a Delta flight that left for Las Vegas at 11:15 a.m.

The flight was not full, Hogan said, and the flight crew became suspicious midflight because the boy was not on their list of unattended minors. The crew contacted Las Vegas police, who met them upon landing and transferred the boy to child protection services, Hogan said.

"It's hard to piece anything together from his stories why he got on the flight and went to Las Vegas," Hogan said.

Minneapolis police Sgt. Bill Palmer said officers talked to the family after Las Vegas police contacted them. A family member told police the boy ran away and was last seen earlier Thursday.

The boy had been at the airport on Wednesday as well, Hogan said. Video shows him grabbing a bag from the carousel and ordering lunch at a restaurant outside of the security checkpoints.

He ate and then told the server he had to use the bathroom. He left the bag and never returned to pay, Hogan said. Airport officials returned the bag to its owner.

Delta and the Transportation Security Administration said in separate statements that they were investigating.

Hennepin County Child Protection Services also was looking into it, Palmer said. County spokeswoman Carolyn Marinan said Sunday she couldn't confirm or deny the agency's involvement because the case involves a juvenile and data privacy issues.

The boy was expected to return to the Twin Cities, but Hogan didn't know Sunday if that had happened yet.

 

[MikeD]

How did he get past the gate agent or security with no ticket?

 

[jafra98]

How did he get past the gate agent or security with no ticket?

The kid did it........................

 

[ChasenSFO]

Well, someone is going to be boosting cars by 15 and pulling off heists by 20.

 

[queeno]

HAY KID put it all on RED !!!!!!!

 

[TFaudree_ERAU]

Nice job TSA.

 

[exneophyte]

Someone's getting fired

 

[jafra98]

Do you remember Home Alone??? He did the same in 1990............

 

[NickH]

How did he get past the gate agent or security with no ticket?

Is it bad that I thought it more likely he'd be stopped by a gate agent than TSA?

 

[Deleted member 21509]

The FBI will hire this kid, watch.

 

[ChasenSFO]

Is it bad that I thought it more likely he'd be stopped by a gate agent than TSA?

Yep, that's what surprised me the most. It's the one part that doesn't add up to me, I've never seen any gate agent let a plane go out with an unresolved headcount issue. And I worked with a few really, really crappy gate agents.

 

[JEP]

Sorry, it was my kid I wanted to test security in case I get to the airport before NJC....

 

[skypilot6]

How does he expect to rack up his frequent flyer miles without a ticket?

 

[deadpixel]

Well, someone is going to be boosting cars by 15 and pulling off heists by 20.

I guess I really need to start playing GTA V

 

[Shiftace]

How did he get past the gate agent or security with no ticket?

Where were the parents? Didn't realize their kid was gone?

 

[derg]

THANKS OBAMA.

 

[JordanD]

Yep, that's what surprised me the most. It's the one part that doesn't add up to me, I've never seen any gate agent let a plane go out with an unresolved headcount issue. And I worked with a few really, really crappy gate agents.

When I was at Airways the gate agents would always ask the crew what count they had. "60? Ok sounds good!" And that was that. And yes, somebody got sent to the wrong city once.

 

[ChasenSFO]

When I was at Airways the gate agents would always ask the crew what count they had. "60? Ok sounds good!" And that was that. And yes, somebody got sent to the wrong city once.

Geez, at least when I sent someone to the wrong city(country, technically) the headcount was right.

 

[BobDDuck]

Yep, that's what surprised me the most. It's the one part that doesn't add up to me, I've never seen any gate agent let a plane go out with an unresolved headcount issue. And I worked with a few really, really crappy gate agents.

When I was at Airways the gate agents would always ask the crew what count they had. "60? Ok sounds good!" And that was that. And yes, somebody got sent to the wrong city once.

All the freaking time. I'd always tell the flight attendants NOT to tell the gate agent the count when they asked and make them provide it first. I can think of 3 times off the top of my head where the counts didn't match, the gate agent said our count was right and when we got to wherever we were going, a passenger was very confused why there was snow outside or why there was an ocean right next to the airport.

 

[sweeps]

Blows my mind how people get on planes without boarding passes or with the wrong one. In Feb I was on an AA flight from LAX to MIA and a guy that was supposed be going to Tokyo go on the flight. Ugh...