David Riley

@rilzd

The Transportation Security Administration stopped a Webster woman with a loaded handgun in her carry-on bag Saturday morning as she tried to take a flight out of Greater Rochester International Airport.

A TSA officer spotted the .38-caliber gun as the woman's bag went through an X-ray machine, the agency said in a news release. The gun was loaded with seven rounds, including one in the chamber.

The TSA contacted the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, which confiscated the gun. Corporal John Helfer, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said the woman was not charged with any crime and that she had a valid pistol permit.

Helfer said it appeared that the woman forgot the gun was in the bag.

Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the TSA, said in an email that her agency typically cites travelers who show up at a checkpoint with a gun. The first offense is often a $3,000 civil fine, though it can be higher, depending on such factors as whether there is ammunition in the chamber.

The TSA reminded passengers Monday that permit or no, passengers cannot place weapons — including firearms, gun parts and ammunition — in their carry-on bags. Travelers can face criminal and civil penalties if they bring firearms to an airport checkpoint.

Weapons can be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, properly packed in a locked hard case and declared, though individual airlines may have additional requirements, the TSA said.

The woman had a ticket to fly to Baltimore.

DRILEY@DemocratandChronicle.com

Twitter.com/rilzd