Denver Police say the man carried the sheathed knives in his carry-on baggage through security at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
According to an official with the Transportation Security Administration, a screener noticed something on the X-ray, but pulled the wrong bag.
An official with TSA says it is rare for a passenger to get through security with a knife, but they say they knew where the man was at all times. By the time officials reached the plane, they say it had already departed.
TSA says it has "multiple layers of security in place," including Federal Air Marshals and hardened cockpit doors, but they did not specify whether there were armed marshals on the flight in question.
Police say the man was escorted off the American Airlines plane around 8 a.m., once it arrived in Denver, and all passengers who were continuing on were re-screened. Passengers whose final destination was Denver were allowed to deplane.
According to Denver Police, the man was taken in for questioning. They say his hunting knives were 3.5 and 5 inches in length. Police say the man, whose name was not released, will not face charges after FBI investigators determined there was no criminal intent. The man told authorities he forgot about the knives.
The TSA says he could still face civil penalties and fines ranging from a few hundred dollars up to a $10,000 fine for the first offense of brining contraband aboard a flight.
According to the TSA, it is important for people to be aware of what they are traveling with, especially people going on a hunting trip.
The TSA plans to review the incident and its policy and procedures to figure out how they worked and did not work in this incident.
Officials say the incident did not cause any air travel delays.
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