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Flights delayed after John Wayne Airport security breach

by CHELSEA J. CARTER, | Sunday, Jul 23 2006 9:15 PM

Last Updated: Sunday, Jul 23 2006 9:15 PM

Both terminals at John Wayne Airport were evacuated Sunday evening and passengers herded off airplanes after a female passenger made it past a security checkpoint without being screened, authorities said.

As a result, hundreds of travelers - even those aboard airplanes - were required to undergo a second security check, Nico Melendez of the Transportation Security Administration said.

Six outgoing flights were delayed as passengers were re-screened and put back on the planes, Melendez said. Authorities did not provide details Sunday night about who slipped past security or how she managed to do so.

An alarm sounded shortly after 5:30 p.m. and Orange County Sheriff's deputies and airport security began evacuating the terminals. Lines snaked out the doors as travelers lined up again in front of checkpoints.

Passengers erupted in cheers when the checkpoints reopened for screening at 7:20 p.m, said Orange County Sheriff's Lt. Hayward Miller.

Robin Lavengood, 43, of Mission Viejo, leaned against a planter as hundreds of others waited to begin re-screening. Lavengood had just walked in the door of the airport when the evacuation began.

He said to himself, "Something bad is going on here."

Lavengood had a 7 p.m. flight to Portland.

"I don't think it's gonna happen now," he said, surveying the throng of people.

Dozens of people went outside to try and cool off and others sat on suitcases and jackets.

Hanna Mallott was sitting inside a bar in the airport terminal waiting for a flight to Oakland when the first alarms went off.

"Someone asked me if I'd been through a code five before," she said. "I said what are you talking about?"

Code five is airport code for a security violation.

Outside sitting on a suitcase, Mallot said. "I'm just going to sit here and wait until they figure it out. What else am I going to do?"