Southwest Pilot Arrested with Gun at St. Louis Lambert International Airport

By Doyle Murphy on Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 10:13 am

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Photo courtesy of Flickr/Matthew Hurst

A Southwest Airlines pilot stopped on Wednesday with loaded gun at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, authorities say.

A pilot was arrested this morning at St. Louis Lambert International Airport after security discovered a loaded 9mm pistol in his carry-on bag, airport officials say.

The 51-year-old pilot, a first officer for Southwest Airlines, was headed for Las Vegas when he was stopped at a Terminal 2 checkpoint. Transportation Security Administration officers detained him shortly before 5 a.m., according to a statement from Lambert.

It was not clear if the pilot was on duty or planned to fly as a passenger. He did not have a concealed carry permit or any other authorization for the handgun, officials say.

Airport police are forwarding the case to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney for review. The pilot's name has not been released.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 5:15 a.m. and departed 45 minutes late, at 6 a.m.

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