January 05, 2004

(Updated) Bomb Unit Called To PDX As Three Concourses Shut Down

Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.

According to KGW, concourses A, B, and C of the Portland International Airport are all closed, and two officers from the Portland Police Bureau's bomb unit are on the scene to investigate a suspicious package.

KGW has a link to a live webcam from PDX airport. No other information appears to be available at this time, and nothing has yet come across email from the Police Bureau.

January 05, 2004

Update

KGW now has a story up, although there remains little detail thus far. Concourses D and E, at the other end of the airport reportedly remain open. The story refers now to a suspicious "device" rather than "package."

January 05, 2004

Update

KPTV reports a "security breach" which prompted the evacuation of those concourses, also reports possible "suspcious package" and says people are being kept at least 100 feet from the entrances to the area in question.

January 05, 2004

Update

KATU's newscast reports that a man when going through the checkpoints was stopped when the x-ray of his bag revealed an apparent pipe, which was tested but not found to be problematic, but then the man himself tested positive for nitroglycerine. Their story as posted online claims that passengers were not, in fact, being evacuated, but were kept away from the checkpoints. On the air, however, they reported that passengers were being allowed through checkpoints while the man was being questioned.

January 05, 2004

Update


KOIN's newscast also reports no evacuation, but people being kept from certain areas and some planes being kept on the ground. It's all conflicting reports at this point.

January 05, 2004

Update

KGW's newscast continues to report (via telephone, because the bomb squad is parked where they normally park their truck) concourse evacuation and closure of A, B, and C area, with thousands of people moved out into the terminal. All flights relevant to those areas are being held up in both directions. People in the gate area are not being allowed to move from their seats and are being held up wherever they were when things were shut down, until the situation is resolved.

January 05, 2004

Update

KGW now reports that the concourses were re-opened around 5:30 PM. The bag involved, KGW says, had tested positive for explosives residue at a checkpoint, but no explosive devices were found.

January 05, 2004

Update

No, you're not imagining things. Until moments ago, all of these update dates had been listed as occurring in 2003.

January 05, 2004

Update

According to an Associated Press report:

A metal device used to christen babies prompted authorities to shut down three concourses at Portland International Airport, causing flight delays.

Apparently, it resembled a pipe bomb when under the x-ray. The man failed to identify it because his wife has placed it in the bag.

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Comments (1)

  1. Grumpy on 05 Jan 2004

    The bag involved, KGW says, had tested positive for explosives residue at a checkpoint, but no explosive devices were found.

    I'd be worried about this. So, the bag the guy was carrying tested positive, but no explosives were found. What about his checked baggage (if any)? One would hope they pulled the bag(s) and gave them a very thorough screening.

    How does "explosives residue" get onto someone's bag? Is this common (eg: a false positive)? One wonders.

    Grumpy Times, West Linn, OR

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  1. PDX is Under Siege! on 05 Jan 2004

    Apparently the Portland airport shut down this afternoon because a man going through security was overly fond of nitroglycerine. Portland? Dude, that’s not cool. I moved from Seattle and the loonies followed me . . . Check the One True...