OFF DUTY CAPT RPTING FOR A FLT AND PASSING THROUGH SECURITY; DETECTOR NOTED A GUN IN PERSONAL LUGGAGE AND CAPT WAS QUERIED BY SECURITY.

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THE MORNING OF SEP/MON/91 I WAS STOPPED BY SECURITY PERSONNEL WHEN THEY SAW A FIREARM IN MY SUITCASE AS IT PASSED THE SCREENING PROCESS. LET ME DESCRIBE THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THIS INNOCENT MISTAKE. 3 DAYS BEFORE MY WIFE AND I DROVE TO GAINESVILLE; FL; TO VIEW A FOOTBALL GAME. MY WIFE'S CONCERN ABOUT THE RECENT MURDERERS IN THE AREA PROMPTED ME TO PUT A GUN IN THE GLOVE BOX OF THE CAR. AFTER RETURNING ON SEP/SUN/91 WHILE UNPACKING THE CAR; MY WIFE PUT THE GUN IN OUR SUITCASE TO CARRY IT TO THE HOUSE. HOWEVER; SHE DID NOT TELL ME SHE UNPACKED ALMOST ALL OF THE SUITCASE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I PACKED THE SAME SUITCASE NOT KNOWING THE GUN WAS IN ONE OF THE LIGHT ZIPPER POUCHES OF THIS SOFT SAMSONITE SUITCASE. I HAD NOT BEEN TOLD THE GUN WAS PUT IN THE SUITCASE. WE ARRIVED AT THE ARPT EARLY. AS MY WIFE (A FLT ATTENDANT) AND I APCHED THE SECURITY SCREENING SHE VEERED OFF TO GET SOME COFFEE AND WE AGREED TO MEET IN OPS. YOU KNOW THE REST FROM HERE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. MY WIFE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THE GUN HAD BEEN PUT IN THE SUITCASE. SHE SHOULD HAVE NOTICED IT AND REMOVED IT WHEN SHE UNPACKED. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED IT WHEN I PACKED FOR MY TRIP. BECAUSE THE SHOULD'S OUTNUMBER THE DID'S THIS INNOCENT CHAIN OF EVENTS BECAME AN INCIDENT.