Flight Attendant Reprimanded After Officer Discharged Her Gun In Airport

Flight Attendant Jaclyn Luby

Flight attendant Jaclyn Luby accidentally brought her .38 caliber Smith and Wesson Airweight revolver to the airport early Sunday morning. When she placed her carry-on bag through the X-ray machine, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners noticed the revolver and notified an officer. While Luby was in another screening room, the officer accidentally discharged the weapon into a TSA break room where an employee was sitting. The officer was attempting to activate the safety latch on the gun so that it would not discharge.

Although there was a TSA employee in the break room at the time of the discharge, no one was injured. Luby, a flight attendant for more than five years, told authorities that she had a permit to carry a gun — but forgot her revolver was in her handbag.

Luby received a summary citation for disorderly conduct and was released, while the officer who fired the gun was put on desk duty during the investigation, a local news station reported. Luby’s employer, Republic Airlines — an airline that operates under US Airways — confirmed the incident.

When asked how they felt about the incident, travelers were surprised that an airline employee would mistakenly bring a firearm to the airport. “We are human and everybody does make mistakes and I understand that, even though she’s a seasoned veteran, she needs to be careful,” US Airways passenger Andrea Burger told local reporters, adding, “I’m sure it will be a great learning opportunity for her.”