The MSP team stopped a bottle of brake fluid from getting on a plane.
A passenger tried to bypass screening by artfully concealing brake fluid in a medical bottle at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), but great teamwork by TSA officers put a stop to any thoughts the traveler had of getting the prohibited liquid on a flight.
When TSA officer Zong Her identified an oversized liquid in a passenger’s bag on the X-ray, he pulled the bag for additional screening.
TSA officer Sparkle Young conducted a bag search and tested the oversized liquid. When it alarmed twice, Young called leadership.
Lead Officer John Drake notified the TSA Minnesota Coordination Center and requested assistance from a TSA explosives expert for multiple alarms on a possible medically exempt liquid at the checkpoint.
During the alarm resolution process, another lead officer, Michael Finstrom noticed something strange. The liquid in the bottle didn’t appear to match the description on the bottle label.
TSA Explosives Specialist Steven Nidzgorski responded and used multiple techniques to test the liquid in what initially appeared to be a 12-ounce bottle of over the counter cough medicine. The chemical analysis identified the substance as brake fluid.
Why would somebody try to smuggle brake fluid on a plane?
Nidzgorski asked the passenger who claimed he used it medically on his skin as a moisturizer or to help with eczema.
After Nidzgorski determined the substance was brake fluid, Supervisory Officer Nicole Wolfe, Manager Susanna Kleifgen and Supervisory Manager Shannon Takao made the appropriate notifications, putting the brakes on the passenger’s ill-advised plans to bring the potentially dangerous fluid past the checkpoint.
Wolfe said Finstrom “showed amazing critical thinking skills” when he noticed the liquid in the bottle was not the correct color.
“I did not believe the passenger was using brake fluid on his skin since it can cause chemical burns on someone’s skin,” said Wolfe. “This was definitely a great example of teamwork and what can happen when everyone works together.”
Nidzgorski said brake fluid is a hazardous material that can be toxic to people and is not allowed on passenger aircrafts.
“It can be flammable and will react violently with certain other materials,” Nidzgorski said. “It should never be used in the manner stated by the passenger, which was what piqued our concern at the checkpoint.”
By Mike Frandsen, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs