Flare Gun Found; Air Passenger Held

A real estate agent was charged with carrying a flare gun, 21 flares and an 8-inch filet knife onto a US Airways flight after a flight attendant heard him use the word “hijack” while he waited to board, authorities said.

John Thomas Kieser, 45, from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., was charged Tuesday with carrying dangerous weapons aboard an aircraft, FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi said. He was freed on $25,000 bail.

An airport spokeswoman said the metal items should have been picked up by the airline’s detectors and she thinks security personnel “just missed the items.” US Airways, responsible for security at its terminal, refused to comment.

When the flight attendant told the gate supervisor what she had heard, Kieser already had boarded the plane, an FBI affidavit said. An airline official asked Kieser to leave the plane and found the flares and knife.

William Borbidge of the city bomb squad said the flare launcher and flares could kill or harm a person and severely damage an aircraft in flight, possibly destroying it, the FBI affidavit said.

Kieser denied making statements about a hijacking and said he did not intend to commit illegal acts.