After Denver airport runway death, questions raised about perimeter security at Pittsburgh International Airport
A terrifying security breach at Denver International Airport is now raising urgent questions nationwide after a man got onto an active runway and was killed by a departing plane.
KDKA went to Pittsburgh International Airport to find out just how difficult it would be for someone to get close to restricted airfield areas here at home.
The incident in Denver is now shining a spotlight on airport perimeter security across the country. And today at Pittsburgh International on Monday, what stood out was how easy it is in some areas to walk right up to the fence surrounding the airfield. Using a cellphone for scale, we wanted to show you exactly what separates the public from active runway areas.
Passengers are screened, scanned and checked multiple times before ever stepping onto a plane. But after a deadly runway breach in Denver, KDKA wanted to know what security looks like outside the airport along the fencing surrounding restricted airfield areas.
Using a public roadway, we accessed an area directly beside the airport fencing. We remained there recording video for nearly 10 minutes, and during that entire time, no security personnel, patrol vehicles, or airport employees ever approached us.
Using a cellphone camera, we documented in real time just how close someone can get to restricted airfield areas from outside the airport perimeter.
And while this section of fence did include barbed wire, so did the area that was jumped in Denver, and the fact that no one appeared to be actively monitoring this area on Monday raises new questions about perimeter security and response.
KDKA's Shelley Bortz is 5-foot-10, and standing up against the fence that surrounds the runway, you could see that it's really not that much taller than her. When she raised her arm, you could see the fence is roughly around 8 feet high.
However, airports rely on multiple layers of security beyond fencing alone, including cameras, patrols and monitoring systems.
KDKA contacted Allegheny County Airport Authority about what we found, and in a statement, it says:
"Safety and security are always the top priority at Pittsburgh International Airport. Like any major security event in the industry, our team is aware and is reviewing the incident that occurred in Denver. While we can't discuss specific security measures, our operations team along with Allegheny County Police, patrol and inspect perimeter areas around PIT which include publicly accessible areas. Our teams are constantly evaluating new technology to enhance security measures and make adjustments and additions is necessary. These evaluations have been ongoing long before the incident in Denver this past weekend."
