Baggage handler's case reveals glitch

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The case of baggage handler Konrad Spiegel reveals a glitch in the post 9/11 aiport security procedures.

Despite a felony conviction, he worked for 12 years as a Northwest Airlines baggage handler at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. He had access to secure areas despite that felony. It appears everyone followed the rules, by Spiegel fell through a loophole.

In 1997, Northwest Airlines checked his record before he was hire. But it wasn't until after he was working for the airline that he was sentenced to probation for possessing less than 25 grams of cocaine, a felony. The airline said he would not have been hired if the conviction happened before he applied.

But it happened afterwards, and the airline does not routinely re-check employees.

The Ford International Airport is responsible for issuing security passes, and gave one to Spiegel. The airport runs background checks on its own employees, but not on airline workers. They rely on the airlines to check and certify their own employees.

It's likely the federal regulations would have prevented Spiegel from getting security clearance because of his drug felony. But since Northwest Airlines didn't know about it, and the airport didn't know about it, he slid through the system.

There are no federal requirements for re-checking either airline or airport employees once they've had a criminal history check.

An airport spokesman said they've never seen this happen before. It's hard to know how serious it is.

In Spiegel's case, he worked for 12 years without any apparent trouble.