A PASSENGER got more than they bargained for after they discovered a loaded handgun magazine with a chilling inscription.
The magazine, found on a Frontier Airlines flight near seat 7A, was marked with the mysterious letters “K H.”
The plane was probed by investigators after 10 bullets were foundCredit: Getty
Rage-fuelled passengers were forced to deplane when the mysterious incident took place in Atlanta,Georgia.
They were left gobsmacked as 10 hollow-point rounds, a type of bullet which expands on impact, were uncovered.
The Airbus A320 aircraft was in a state of emergency after the bullets were found and the pilot announced an unexpected security sweep.
They told passengers: “We need to do a security sweep. We’re going to get everyone off the airplane.”
The plane had just landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and was due to jet off to Cincinnati, before the ammunition was found.
Terry Foster, a passenger said: “I’ve heard of a lot of delays, cancelled flights, but I’ve never heard of this before. This is brand new.”
Janyia Davis, another passenger on the flight, was glad nobody was hurt, she said: “I don’t really feel like people were in danger, but at the same time, something bad could still happen.”
Anthony Jenkins said: “For you to just leave it lying around like that and definitely not double check before you got off, irresponsible.”
The shocking incident has sparked a multi-agency investigation.
Police were called to the scene on Sunday November 9 at 4:32pm and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) were forced to repeat security checks on all the travellers.
They also confirmed the aircraft was probed by the Atlanta cops’ K-9 units.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, the FBI was told the incident and “no active threats were indicated.”
The Police Department said: “The aircraft was deplaned and thoroughly searched by officers; no additional items of concern were found.”
“The plane departed safely at 7:56pm.”
Frontier Airlines said: “A subsequent investigation confirmed that the ammunition belonged to a law enforcement officer who was on an earlier flight on the same aircraft.”
“The ammunition and magazine were taken into the custody of the Atlanta Police Department, and the property owner was referred to Atlanta P.D. to retrieve his items.”
Frontier’s shocking claim has not yet been confirmed by investigators.
Under strict federal regulations, federal air marshals and certain law enforcement officers are authorised to carry firearms abroad commercial aircrafts.
Officials must have special training, valid credentials, an operational need to carry a gun and they must notify the airline before getting on the flight.
While air marshals are assigned to protect flights against potential threats, some enforcement officers are green-lighted to travel armed if they’re transporting prisoners or carrying out other federally recognised duties.
Elsewhere, an American airline pilot who was caught carrying a high voltage stun gun in his luggage at Edinburgh Airport has escaped a jail sentence.
Ryan Cecil, 56, attempted to board a flight he was piloting to New York in January last year.
The cheeky pilot told security officers who found the stun gun, that the item was a torch, but he soon confessed after armed police were called to the scene.
Prosecutor Matthew Miller said Cecil’s small cabin bag had been rejected by an airport security machine and the luggage was searched by staff.
Mr Miller said a security officer discovered the stun gun hidden inside a pair of gloves but Cecil had taken hold of the weapon and claimed it was just a torch by illuminating a light and placing it back in his bag.
