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Home » Law In Travel » TSA Hands Box Cutter Back To Man Who Uses It To Terrorize Frontier Airlines Flight
FrontierLaw In Travel

TSA Hands Box Cutter Back To Man Who Uses It To Terrorize Frontier Airlines Flight

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 12, 2022November 13, 2023 23 Comments

a plane on the runway

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners found a box cutter in a man’s carry-on bag, gave it back to him, and then he used it to threaten other passengers and later charge at a flight attendant on a Frontier Airlines flight. But that water bottle remains a lethal threat…

Genius: TSA Finds Box Cutter, Returns It To Man Who Uses It To Threaten Passengers, Charge At Flight Attendant on Frontier Airlines

The incident began to unfold on November 12, 2022 at a TSA checkpoint at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). William Allen Liebisch, 42, was traveling on Frontier Airlines to Tampa (TPA) on flight 1761. TSA screeners found a box cutter in his bag. The officer removed the blade and handed it back to Liebisch, missing the obvious: box cutters often have a backup blade built into the handle.

Oh, and the TSA missed a second box cutter in his bag…

Next, Liebisch boarded his flight to Tampa. A passenger saw Liebisch use the box cutter to clean his nails. Another passenger reported to flight attendants onboard that Liebisch said that he was going to stab someone. Flight attendants asked two male passengers to help, seating them next to Liebisch in an attempt to keep him calm.

Meanwhile, the captain made the decision to divert to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which was the nearest major airport. Passengers were told to leave their carry-on items onboard and to immediately deplane. While Atlanta Police officers were waiting at the gate, they did not board the flight for fear of antagonizing Liebisch.

After the remaining passengers stepped off, leaving Liebisch sitting in the last row with his two assigned male seatmates, he attempted to rush off the plane while brandishing his box cutter toward a flight attendant. One of the passengers tackled him from behind. Police officers rushed onboard and subdued him.

Police warned him that he would be tasered if he did not stop resisting, which caused him to stop.

Liebisch faces prison time and a steep fine, but what about the TSA officer that handed him back the box cutter or the baggage screener that failed to miss the second box cutter? They should be held accountable too.

CONCLUSION

It amazes me that the TSA is ruthlessly efficient at finding water bottles and other liquid items, but misses guns and apparently box cutters too. Let me use this moment to advocate for an end to the scaremongering liquid ban but also applaud the passengers onboard Frontier who assisted flight attendants, especially the one who tackled Liebisch from behind. As for Liebisch, you have to wonder if drugs or alcohol were at play.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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23 Comments

  1. simmonad Reply
    December 12, 2022 at 2:30 pm

    How odd that I was able to take a 1 litre bottle of liquid – legally – through Ben Gurion airport way back in 2008! Unlike most countries, Israel obviously treats security seriously so, like you, I don’t know why we still have the liquid ban. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I’m sure that the bars and shops at airports are delighted with the ban’s continued retention…..

    • Warren Trout Reply
      December 12, 2022 at 10:32 pm

      Not odd. They have the advanced scanners. Too bad the US hasn’t had the time to fix their ancient technology

      • Adam Reply
        December 13, 2022 at 11:24 am

        I think it is a money issue not a time issue.

      • Santastico Reply
        December 13, 2022 at 11:24 am

        My family was able to bring full bottles of water through security at AMS during the summer. They just asked to place the water bottles on the tray and we were good to go. Here in the US it is about stupidity and greed. TSA is stupid and lazy so they don’t want to deal with that. At the same time, someone is printing money when you have to pay $4.50 inside the airport for the same water bottle you pay $0.15 at Costco. It is always about money.

    • Pete Reply
      December 13, 2022 at 12:59 pm

      It’s because you can add two liquids together and have a bomb………
      Not good for aircraft …..

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        December 13, 2022 at 1:14 pm

        The risk does not outweigh the inconvenience.

    • SATXGuy Reply
      December 16, 2022 at 2:38 pm

      Husband and I went through Amman Queen Alia in late September and our water bottles went through security without any problem, scanned and checked but approved for the Frankfurt flight; perhaps TSA is overwhelmed with travel since the end of COVID restrictions…

  2. Christian Reply
    December 12, 2022 at 8:13 pm

    “Uhhh, sir… you dropped your gun.”

  3. 747always Reply
    December 12, 2022 at 10:25 pm

    Matt should have been sitting next to the guy. His inner Rambo would have saved the day.

  4. Jo Werm Reply
    December 12, 2022 at 11:05 pm

    And shoes. We have to take our shoes off to be inspected because of the failed shoe bomber or shoe fire starter.
    They need to get serious about what they’re searching for instead of being on automatic as we go through. They’re charging more for our luggage to go beneath the plane so now there’s more for them to look through with the scanners. Time for more TSA agents to be paid better, trained better, and to be held accountable when they screw up.

  5. DC not in DC Reply
    December 13, 2022 at 12:06 am

    Is the T in TSA for “Terrifying”, the S for “Stupid” and the “A” for…?

    TSA fails 97% of DHS audits, which means they might have slowed down one 9/11 terrorist from flying into a building, maybe.

  6. CK- Reply
    December 13, 2022 at 12:51 am

    We need worry less about foreign terrorists & worry more about home grown terrorists. Of course we need to completely secure our Airlines but if a terrorist wanted to, they could get something on the plane.

  7. Mrs C Reply
    December 13, 2022 at 7:36 am

    TSA- Thousands Standing Around

  8. April Reply
    December 13, 2022 at 9:48 am

    I forgot to remove my bath & body works lotion from my purse before leaving home, unopened and sealed, the TSA agent was so mean about it, I was teary eyed and told my friend my dad had bought it for me and he mocked me said well now maybe you’ll learn. Not everyone is intentionally breaking the stupid rules, flying is stressful. But maybe if it was a box cutter he would have personally escorted me to my gate with a smile.

  9. Mary E Winkle Reply
    December 13, 2022 at 10:01 am

    The ways our government has failed us, have been too numerous to count. We don’t have a real democracy. We have an elitism in mostly the upper White class with maybe a Black or Two. But mostly White rich people, of whom get less and less each day, get to enjoy the “American Dream”.

    The immigrants are stealing it, having never fought in any war to keep it free. And the refuse to do so. That’s how our government screwed us so bad. Asians can live here and avoid military service generation after generation. It began after WWII. And continues to this day. That’s why Americans south of the USA border feel they have a right to be here and they do!
    If we let 10 Million Asians in, and we have, why should we refuse to let OTHER AMERICANS in? Like Central & South Americans????

  10. Mary E Winkle Reply
    December 13, 2022 at 10:04 am

    TSA agents? No opinion. I’m sure they work very hard. So do Welfare Social Workers and they’re USELESS, WORTHLESS and even DETRIMENTAL to us.

  11. PolishKnight Reply
    December 13, 2022 at 11:39 am

    My TSA story: I was flying to Florida for vacation and had forgotten my pocket knife was in my computer bag. The TSA guy was cool about it, told me to go downstairs and check it in with my airline, and I could claim it on the way back which I did. So I ran downstairs, Jetblue bagged it, and I rejoined my family 15 minutes later.

    Matt: Status update my father-in-law in Odessa: Electric power is intermittent but he’s comfortable. There are power recharge stations for mobile phones, etc. at the grocery stores. The electric trams are not running.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 14, 2022 at 11:55 am

      Glad your FIL is doing well. Thank you for the update.

  12. Maryland Reply
    December 13, 2022 at 9:18 pm

    My small but pointy tweezers were deemed unsafe by a meeting of three TSAs . Did they really imagine I was going to tweeze my way to flight deck? Twenty five bucks in the trash

    • PolishKnight Reply
      December 14, 2022 at 10:11 am

      I don’t know if you consider this good news, but they likely put it into the bin where the airport later auctions it all off, but don’t know if TSA confiscated stuff is included in that.

  13. Jeff Reply
    December 14, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    TSA confiscates thousands of water bottles from passenger’s carry-on bags every day. If the liquid in the bottles pose a possible threat of a bomb, why are all of them thrown in the trash? Also, water bottles and soft drinks purchased past the TSA checkpoint are never inspected prior to sale.

  14. Blair Reply
    December 15, 2022 at 10:18 am

    Ridiculous. I have a small, TSA approved (according to manufacturer), Swiss Army knife, only about 1 ½ inches long. No knife blade, just the tiny scissors, screwdriver and bottle opener. TSA would not let me carry that on!

  15. Tony N. Reply
    December 15, 2022 at 2:58 pm

    They need to give me back my expensive scissors and apple peeler.

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