Man Mails himself From New York to Dallas

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal officials are investigating how a man managed to hide inside a crate that was flown by a major cargo carrier from New York to Dallas, Texas.

Charles McKinley wanted to go to his father's house in Dallas and decided to "ship himself rather than pay for a ticket," said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Suzanne Luber.

McKinley secured himself in the crate, apparently with some help, along with his computer and some clothes.

The incident highlighted a potential hole in aviation security.

McKinley shipped himself through cargo carrier Kitty Hawk Inc., which said it was told by the shipping firm, Pilot Air Freight, that the crate was loaded with computer monitors.

The crate, marked as containing computer equipment, was picked up at a company called Metrotech in the Bronx, New York, and driven to John F. Kennedy International Airport, and then to Newark, New Jersey, where it was placed on a Kitty Hawk cargo plane, she said.

"The plane actually went to Buffalo. From Buffalo it went to Fort Wayne, Indiana. There was a change of planes onto another Kitty Hawk cargo plane, and he ended up at DFW [Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]," Luber said.

He was then driven to the intended address, which was his father's house in De Soto, a suburb 14 miles south of Dallas.

The Rest of the Story

So how much money did he save? Dang article doesn't say!

I always wanted to try that. But ya gotta wonder, how many other folks have done this? Had he waited a few seconds for the delivery guy to leave, we would never know that it happened.

They were talking about this on the news this morning and how they don't usually screen cargo but they still mail 80% of it on passenger planes. That's really reassuring.

"The incident highlighted a potential hole in aviation security."

Potential hole?

Man Pleads Guilty to Shipping Self in Box

November 6, 2003 11:19 AM EST


FORT WORTH, Texas - A former shipping clerk pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to shipping himself from New York to Dallas in a wooden cargo crate.

Charles D. McKinley, 25, pleaded guilty to stowing away on a cargo jet, a misdemeanor. Possible punishment ranges from probation to a year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine when he is sentenced Feb. 4.

McKinley declined to comment after the 20-minute hearing. His attorney Bill Glaspy said he advised McKinley to plead guilty because "he told what he did to every newspaper and television station in the country, I think."

The plea was not part of a plea bargain, said U.S. Attorney Fred Schattman.

McKinley's trial had been set for Monday. He had previously agreed to have U.S. Magistrate Charles Bleil hear the case rather than a jury or a federal district judge.

McKinley, who worked at a New York warehouse, journeyed overnight about 1,500 miles by truck, plane and delivery van before popping out of the box Sept. 6 at his startled parents' home in DeSoto, a Dallas suburb.

The shaken delivery company employee left the house and called police.

McKinley has said he made the 15-hour trip - eluding security at five airports - because he was homesick and thought he could save money by flying cargo.

McKinley said he took a cell phone, which didn't work, but no food or water. He told some reporters he occasionally got out of the 42-by-36-by-15-inch crate.

He also said an accomplice closed the box and shipped him. But in his signed statement to the FBI, McKinley claimed no one else was involved.

The incident renewed debate over the air cargo system's vulnerability to terrorists. Unlike the tight federal security for airline passengers, air cargo receives little federal scrutiny and is the responsibility of the shipper.

Well, I guess everyone should be glad that this guy was just some knucklehead that wanted to go and visit his daddy and not some dangerous terrorist. Now, just maybe, they will check these packages a tad bit better.

Potential hole? Ya think?