Bullet discovered on commercial jet at major airport sparks security scare

A single bullet discovered in an overhead bin on a United Airlines Boeing 737 at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) caused a significant security delay.

The incident occurred Feb. 17 on a flight bound for Miami. The plane was declared a crime scene, and was searched and cleared by authorities before departing after a nearly three-hour delay.

“On Tuesday, United Flight 1511 underwent a security sweep after a bullet was discovered in an overhead bin prior to the flight’s departure,” United Airlines told Fox News Digital in a statement.

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“Security personnel cleared the aircraft, which later departed for Miami,” the company’s statement concluded.

United Flight 1511 had been due to depart from Newark at 2:07 p.m. local time, according to data shared on FlightAware.

After almost three hours, the plane took off at 4:49 p.m. 

It landed in Miami at 7:33 p.m. 

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It is still unknown how the bullet entered the aircraft cabin after multiple screening procedures at Newark. 

“Security personnel cleared the aircraft, which later departed for Miami.” 

TSA rules strictly prohibit firearms in carry-on baggage. 

Ammunition must be unloaded, locked in a hard-sided container and declared to the airline at the check-in counter as checked baggage, according to the agency. 

Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, loaded or empty, need to be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm.

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“TSA does not confiscate detected firearms in carry-on bags. Screening officers notify law enforcement, who may take possession of the firearm and determine further action,” according to the government website.

This is not the first time a passenger has apparently tried to conceal ammunition at Newark airport.

A Mississippi man was arrested in Oct. 2024 after TSA officers intercepted disassembled gun parts concealed in a boot and a Lego box. 

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An “officer detected the fully disassembled 9mm firearm in a carry-on bag at a checkpoint in Terminal A as the man’s duffle bag entered the checkpoint X-ray machine,” according to a TSA statement at the time.

“The gun frame was jammed in the bottom of a boot below a sock … The gun’s slide, spring and gun magazine loaded with 12 bullets were detected mixed among the plastic pieces of a Black Panther Lego set.”

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Port Authority Police confiscated the items and arrested the passenger, who was ticketed to fly to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.