TSA "Explosive Detected" Graph/Printout...
Oct 28, 2015 | 11:50 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: California
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TSA "Explosive Detected" Graph/Printout...
Are these considered 'confidential'? or I guess in TSA speak 'SSI'.
Have looked through google images and never found one.
Have looked through google images and never found one.
Oct 28, 2015 | 11:57 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
Explosives detected:
Most of the sniffers have a long list of substances that they can detect, and they can be calibrated to several categories. heres a few of the explosives the sniffers detect:
RDX
PETN
TNT (Tri Nitro Toluene)
Semtex
Tetryl
Nitroglycerine (NG)
Nitrates
HMX
ANFO
Most of the sniffers have a long list of substances that they can detect, and they can be calibrated to several categories. heres a few of the explosives the sniffers detect:
RDX
PETN
TNT (Tri Nitro Toluene)
Semtex
Tetryl
Nitroglycerine (NG)
Nitrates
HMX
ANFO
Oct 28, 2015 | 8:19 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 30,988
The problem is that these devices cannot discriminate between a hand lotion or an explosive.
TSA's ETD testers are near worthless when they give more false alarms than actual hits on threat items.
Perhaps we should use the same criteria for TSA overall.
Oct 28, 2015 | 9:07 pm
#7
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Programs: A3, AA. Plasticy things! That give me, y'know, Stuff!
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Which is odd because unless DHS has bought bottom of the barrel machines they certainly can discriminate across those things. I suspect the machines have been set up to trigger on the most general of nitrate and phosphate spikes. Doing that would reduce the need for operator training/capability and also (if you were being really cheap and cynical) servicing of the machines themselves.
Oct 28, 2015 | 10:26 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,543
I do understand the problem with fertilizer, though. Ammonium nitrate is fertilizer. It's also high explosive, although stable enough that you need to use another explosive charge, not merely a blasting cap, to set it off.
Oct 29, 2015 | 12:13 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,678
Actually, SSI applies to "covered persons" which includes many non-government employees such as airline employees or contractors who have access to SSI. You don't have to be an employee of DHS to be a covered person.
