Department of the Air Force releases Inspector General review into Feb. 4 Joint Base Andrews unauthorized access incident
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
/ Published March 11, 2021
WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Department of the Air Force Inspector General’s review of the Feb. 4 unauthorized access incident at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, cited three issues that led to the wrongful entry of a civilian man onto both the base and a U.S. Air Force C-40 aircraft on the flightline.
According to the review, the human error of a fully qualified and trained security forces Airman who served as a gate guard was the first issue. The Airman’s failure to follow proper procedures wrongfully allowed the man access to the base.
Second, the automatic gate at the entry control point malfunctioned, allowing an unauthorized pedestrian access to the flightline.
The third issue involved personnel posted on the flightline who failed to observe the man walking toward the aircraft and personnel who saw him on the aircraft but did not challenge his presence.
The review found that the Presidential 747 aircraft located at JB Andrews were safe at all times under a more robust security layer within a protected self-contained area manned by armed security personnel. Additional security procedures are not releasable.
The unauthorized access incident occurred Feb. 4 at 7:16 a.m. via the Virginia Gate of JB Andrews. After gaining unauthorized access to the base, the civilian man proceeded to the 89th Airlift Wing passenger terminal and accessed the flightline through a gap in a malfunctioning gate.
After entering the flightline, the man entered the parking area near a U.S. Air Force C-40 aircraft before boarding the aircraft, which was open for aircrew training. Two aircrew members conducting training on the aircraft observed the man board and then a few minutes later, exit the aircraft.
The man then walked toward the entry control point and was engaged by 316th Security Forces Squadron personnel after someone in the passenger terminal alerted them. The man was arrested for unauthorized access to the flightline and turned over to local authorities.