ARPT SCREENING FOUND FIREARM PISTOL IN A PAX BAG RESULTING IN ARPT POLICE INVESTIGATION AND THE PISTOL LEFT IN PAX CAR PRIOR TO HIM BOARDING A LATER FLT.

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ARPT SECURITY DETECTED A FIREARM IN MY LUGGAGE WHILE PROCESSING IT THROUGH THEIR X-RAY MACHINE. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT SUCH A DEVICE IN MY LUGGAGE; I TOLD THEM I WAS NOT AWARE OF ITS EXISTENCE. UPON PHYSICAL SEARCH; THEY REMOVED A SMALL 25 CALIBER PISTOL FROM MY BAGGAGE WHERE IT HAD BEEN ENCASED IN A SMALL TOILETRY BAG WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP IT OUT OF SIGHT OF VISITORS TO MY HOME. IN PREPARATION FOR AN AIRLINE TRIP ON THIS DATE; I DID NOT THOROUGHLY INSPECT THIS TOILETRY BAG PRIOR TO PACKING IT IN MY SUITCASE; THEREFORE WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF ITS EXISTENCE. ARPT POLICE WERE CALLED BY ARPT SECURITY; DETAINING ME UNTIL THE ARPT POLICE EVALUATED THE SIT AND THEN WROTE A RPT AND CONTACTING THE FAA OFFICE IN NASHVILLE TO ALERT THEM TO THE SIT. I WAS ADVISED THAT HAVING THIS FIREARM IN MY BAGGAGE VIOLATED FARS AND THAT I WOULD BE CONTACTED BY AN FAA OFFICER; POSSIBLY BEING FINED FOR THE INFRACTION. BEING A PLT AND KNOWING THE REASONS FOR AND DETAILS OF THE FARS I WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD A FIREARM IN MY SUITCASE; AND CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD BE DETECTED WHEN THE SUITCASE WAS PROCESSED THROUGH THE X-RAY MACHINE. I AM RPTING THIS INFRACTION OF THE FARS TO NASA TO OFFSET ANY FAA PENALTIES WHICH MAY BE IMPOSED AS A RESULT OF THIS UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE. THE ARPT POLICE DID NOT ARREST ME OR BOOK THE INCIDENT; BUT WERE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE FAA OF THE INCIDENT. THE ARPT POLICE RETURNED THE PISTOL TO MY AUTOMOBILE AND ESCORTED ME TO THE TERMINAL TO CONTINUE MY FLT; ALTHOUGH LATER THAN EXPECTED.