Rock musician charged with carrying gun on flight
Thursday, 13 Feb, 2017
0
Rock guitarist Rick Derringer told investigators he carries his loaded gun on flights 30-50 times a year.
Derringer, who scored a no 1 hit in the 1960s, told an air marshall he thought it was OK to carry a loaded gun onboard a commercial flight, and is now facing a criminal charge.
Derringer had taken a Kel-Tec pistol with six rounds of ammunition through security at Cancun Airport undetected, and it was only discovered after another screening during transit in Atlanta.
"Derringer explained that he was aware that his pistol was in his carry-on bag but he thought that it was acceptable to carry a pistol on an airplane," said a complaint filed in US District Court in Atlanta.
Derringer was charged with unlawfully entering an airport’s secure area.
The incident has sparked investigations spanning two countries.
Derringer took the gun through screening undetected at Sarasota Airport in Florida on his outbound journey and again passed through Cancun Airport security on his way back to the US.
"The person who missed this in the screening was terminated," said Rick Piccolo, president and CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
"This is one where it got through, and the person did not do what they’re supposed to do or trained to do. Unfortunately, in this business, you have to be right 100 percent of the time."
Guns are not allowed in carry-on bags at Mexican airports either, said Adolfo Castro, director of Cancun Airport operator Grupo Aeropuertos del Sureste, who has promised an investigation.
Responding to Derringer’s claims he regularly takes a gun aboard flights, TSA spokesman Mark Howell said: "While we take these claims very seriously and review them closely when possible, there is no way to substantiate the passenger’s claims after a prolonged period of time,"
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt