A routine security check at Watertown International Airport (ART) in upstate New York took an unexpected turn when Transportation Security Administration officers found a spent smoke grenade concealed inside an aerosol container in a passenger’s carry-on bag.
The discovery was made recently, according to a Sept. 24 release from the TSA.
During the screening, officers identified the item as a spent M18 smoke grenade.
TSA Officer Yessenia Alvarez was operating the X-ray machine when she noticed something unusual about the aerosol container. “I didn’t like how the item appeared,” she said.
Alvarez alerted Lead TSA Officer Melissa Graffam, telling her, “I did not have a good feeling about it.”
“I was very stunned when I saw the item on the screen,” Alvarez said.
She added that she had encountered similar objects in training scenarios.
Graffam also thought the object looked unusual when it appeared on the X-ray image.
“I saw from the image that the top of the can didn’t look right but appeared to be empty,” Graffam said.
The container was in a side pocket of the bag. After opening it, Graffam found the M18 smoke grenade inside.
The find was especially unusual at the small airport, where TSA officers more commonly intercept prohibited items such as knives and oversized containers of liquid.
When questioned about the grenade, the passenger told officers he had forgotten it was in his carry-on, according to the TSA.
“I found [that] strange because his bag only had a few items in it,” Graffam said.
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Lead TSA Officer Debra Alcock, who was serving as acting supervisor, contacted the Syracuse TSA Coordination Center and a TSA explosives specialist. The expert confirmed that the grenade was not live.
The incident ranked among the most memorable discoveries Alcock has encountered during her time with the agency, the TSA said.
“The teamwork in resolving this issue was excellent,” Alcock said.
“Everyone did their part to help control the checkpoint while we resolved the situation.”
Brian Bushnell, the TSA’s federal security director for airports in upstate New York, used the incident to remind passengers to inspect their bags before leaving home.
“Spent, inert or replica explosive items are not allowed through the checkpoint and can cause delays, disrupt operations and prompt a law enforcement response,” Bushnell said.
“When in doubt, travelers should leave the item at home or check TSA’s resources, such as TSA.gov, before packing.”
Though many people believe that spent grenades are not hazardous, officials warn that they can still pose risks.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has issued public safety alerts regarding vintage grenades in particular.
Recently, at Tampa International Airport, TSA officers discovered another alarming object.
TSA Officer Andrew Carter was screening the passenger’s carry-on bag with an X-ray machine when he noticed something unusual about the flashlight — and flagged the bag for a closer look.
He ultimately found a 4-inch, double-edged knife concealed inside a baseball bat-shaped flashlight, according to an employee story published on the agency’s website.
“Do not try to test the system,” Keith Jeffries, the Florida-based vice president of K2 Security Screening Group and a former federal security director for TSA at Los Angeles International Airport, told Fox News Digital about the knife incident.
“If you do, you will be caught.”
