A United Airlines pilot first threw live ammunition in the trash, then flushed it down a toilet on an worldwide flight – an episode that spurred the involvement of German authorities and an investigation by the airline.
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The pilot initially threw the bullets in a rubbish bin before disposing of them in the toilet, a spokeswoman for United Airlines said.
The TSA and United are investigating the incident, but the pilot hasn’t been fired and is not expected to face criminal charges.
Under federal law, a pilot is allowed to carry weapons, but only in the United States.
According to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft was enroute when the pilot discovered that he was still carrying 10 bullets in his luggage, the ammunition not being permitted to be taken into Germany.
The pilot dumped the bullets before reaching Germany, which has strict gun laws.
©2015 by The Associated Press.
The incident aboard the flight to Munich occurred in June, CNN reported.
The Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Eligible crew members are not allowed to bring firearms or ammunition when flying outside the United States or when not on duty.
The pilot, who has not been named, is likely to be very experienced as it takes many years to become a captain on an global flight for a major USA airline.
May didn’t say whether the pilot has been grounded. “I can’t give any details about his status other than he is still with us”.
A Captain from Texas forgot he had bullets in his bag, and tried to dump them in the restroom, while on a flight to Germany. While searching for it, a flight attendant checked lost and found, and then the trash.
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After landing in Munich, the plane taxied to a remote area where passengers got off and the waste tanks were emptied to find the bullets.
