Story highlights Official: The pilot threw bullets in trash, then flushed them down toilet

The pilot reported incident after plane landed in Munich, Germany, official says

The pilot is still an employee for the airline, United says

(CNN) A United Airlines pilot first threw live ammunition in the trash, then flushed it down a toilet on an international flight -- an episode that spurred the involvement of German authorities and an investigation by the airline.

The incident unfolded aboard a flight from Houston to Munich in June.

After forgetting he had the ammunition in his luggage, the pilot initially put the bullets in a garbage can, an official with knowledge of the investigation said.

A passenger saw the bullets in the trash, reported it to a flight attendant, who then told the captain, according to the official. That's when the captain flushed the ammunition down a toilet.

The pilot reported what happened after landing in Munich, and German authorities retrieved the bullets from the plane, the official said.

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