The TSA says a New Hampshire man was caught trying to bring a loaded handgun onto a plane at Boston's Logan International Airport.
Transportation Security Administration officers spotted the .45-caliber handgun when the man's belongings entered the X-ray machine on Monday.
The gun was loaded with one bullet in the chamber. An additional magazine was also found. In all, there were 14 bullets.
TSA officers contacted the Massachusetts State Police, who took possession of the handgun and detained the man for questioning. The man, whose name has not been released, is a resident of Hooksett, New Hampshire.
The TSA has now found 18 guns at Logan checkpoints this year.
The TSA says travelers who bring firearms to the security checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges. The TSA also has authority to assess civil penalties, and it says a typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100.
The federal agency notes that even travelers with permits to carry concealed weapons are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes in their carry-on bags. They are permitted to travel with guns in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared, and unloaded and packed separately from ammunition.
