Human error and a malfunctioning gate are being blamed for a breach last month at Joint Base Andrews that allowed an unauthorized civilian to climb aboard one of the Air Force’s fleet of VIP aircraft.
On Thursday, the Air Force Inspector General’s office released a review of the Feb. 4, 2021 unauthorized access incident. A fully trained Air Force security forces member working as a gate guard failed to follow proper security procedures, allowing the man to gain access to the Maryland base.
The heavily-redacted report said the man went into the base’s shopping center shortly after 7:15 a.m. where he was spotted on security video walking throughout the food court. He spent about an hour there before returning to the parking lot and driving away.
After that, his whereabouts were unknown for about four hours.
He then appeared at the base’s flight line. The Air Force IG said the automatic gate at the entry control point malfunctioned and allowed him access. He parked and then walked toward an Air Force C-40 aircraft, a military version of the civilian Boeing 737-700 business jet.
Personnel on the flight line failed to observe the man walking toward the aircraft while another person who saw him aboard didn’t challenge his presence, officials said.
The C-40 was open for aircrew training. The IG report says two crewmembers saw him board the plane and then leave a few minutes later.
He was finally stopped after someone in the base’s passenger terminal saw him and called for assistance. The man was arrested for unauthorized access to the flight line and turned over to local authorities.
The IG report concluded that the Presidential 747 aircraft, also located at Joint Base Andrews, were safe at all times under what officials called a “more robust security layer.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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