A Disputanta, Va. man was cited at Richmond International Airport Oct. 8 after it was discovered that he had a .25-caliber handgun in his carry-on bag. TSA officers detected the gun as the man’s carry-on baggage passed through the checkpoint metal detector.

TSA officials contacted the Capital Regional Airport Commission Police, who regularly patrol the airport. The police responded, confiscated the weapon and issued two summonses to the man related to state weapons charges. There was no impact to airport operations. The man, who was ticketed to fly to Atlanta, was able to continue on his flight.

Some weapons are permitted to be transported in checked baggage if properly packaged, but passengers should check with the airlines for proper procedures as well as checking into local laws before doing so.

Passengers can review the prohibited items list on the TSA homepage or they can download the free MyTSA application from the TSA homepage. The TSA web site and the MyTSA app have a “Can I Bring?” feature that allows users to type in items they plan to bring on a trip to get an explanation of TSA’s security policies for the item, including whether the item can be taken in carry-on luggage through the security checkpoint, packed in checked baggage, both, or neither.  The mobile app is available to download for free at http://www.tsa.gov/mobile.