A woman in a wheelchair, aged 52, was subjected to a hand search lasting over an hour at the Oklahoma City airport, despite already being in her bra and underwear.
The extended search led the blonde traveler to miss her scheduled flight.
Tammy Banovac, who is disabled, arrived at the airport dressed only in a trench coat over her black undergarments on Tuesday morning for a flight to Phoenix, which she later removed for security.
A fellow passenger recorded the incident on video.
Understanding that her wheelchair would trigger the metal detector, Banovac wished to avoid an extensive pat-down while sporting her minimal outfit, complemented by her pearl necklace and white dog.
In an interview with a local newspaper, she shared how an uncomfortable airport search two weeks prior had left her feeling violated and expressed her desire to prevent a similar experience.
She remarked to The Oklahoman, “If it happened anywhere else, it would have been sexual assault,” referring to the previous search.
An airport spokeswoman informed a CBS affiliate that a pat-down was necessary since Banovac declined to pass through the metal detector.
Unfortunately, security personnel subsequently found traces of nitrates on her wheelchair, substances that can be associated with explosives. Banovac speculated that these traces could be a result of some medication or a recent hunting excursion.
As a result, she faced over an hour of hand searches and questioning from security officers, which led to her missing her flight.
The following day, she returned home and underwent the same security procedure and pat-down again, this time in only her underwear.
With no explosives found, she was finally able to board her flight to Phoenix.
By Debbie Dot