Posted 11/8/2005 2:14 PM

Airline faces fine after man gets on flight without ticket

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) "” A New Jersey man baffled airline and federal officials this weekend when he boarded a plane without a ticket or boarding pass.
Officials with Fort Worth-based American Airlines say that federal airport screeners should have kept Danis Ballard, 29, of Irvington, off the Miami-bound flight Saturday morning.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it was the airline's job to keep him off the flight. The airline could be fined up to $25,000 for allowing Ballard on board.

Ballard was found and taken off the flight before it took off. He was charged with criminal trespass.

Authorities said the man used a worthless, printed flight itinerary to board the plane.

TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Tuesday's newspapers that the man inquired with a ticket agent at the airport about buying a same-day ticket. He didn't buy one, but he was given an itinerary on paper stock similar to what is used for boarding passes and used that to get past security.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-11-08-air-security-breach_x.htm