Terminal at PDX during Thursday evening's security breach and evacuation. (KGW Photo)

PDX Airport Evacuated Due to Security Breach

December 13, 2001, 09:45 PM

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By Jim Parker, kgw.com Staff

A security breach forced the brief evacuation of about 1,000 people at PDX Airport Thursday evening.

A, B, and C concourses had to be emptied after an unidentified passenger got through a screening checkpoint with some baggage that did not get checked by security, airport officials said. The incident happened about 6 p.m.

"It appears to be an inadvertant situation," said Steve Johnson, a spokesman for the Port of Portland.

The bag had been run through an X-ray machine but guards also planned to check it manually, he said. However, the passenger grabbed the bag and walked off before they got to it.

"He didn't do it intentionally, he didn't run, and he didn't act suspicious," Johnson said. By the time security guards noticed, the man had blended in with the crowd and security personnel never learned who it was.

"As a precautionary effort when that happens, we ask everyone to leave the concourse area... and then we go through and make sure everything's secure," said Johnson.

After police conducted terminal searches for weapons, passengers were allowed back into the airport to begin the expected slow-going process of being re-screened.

Passengers were told it might take two hours to recheck everyone, but the process moved fairly quickly and passengers only reported waits of about an extra half hour despite the large lines.

"Everyone's taking it pretty well," traveler Rick Jacobs said about his fellow airport passengers. "They're all in pretty good moods."

Airport operations were back to normal shortly after 7 p.m. and Johnson said nobody missed a flight.

U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio was among passengers delayed for a redeye flight to Washington, D.C.

The Democratic congressman said he was happy to wait and thankful for the increased security at PDX.

(The AP also contributed to this report.)