Anyone with TB is supposed to be red flagged, and not allowed to board a commercial jetliner.
The Centers for Disease Control tells Action News the passenger was placed on the Do Not Board list on Friday, one day before boarding US Airways flight 401 from Philadelphia to San Francisco. Officials learned the man wasn't fit to travel while on the flight. He was quarantined upon landing in San Francisco.
Symptoms include coughing, often with blood, fever, and night chills. Dr. Phyllis Flomenberg is the Director of Infection Control at Thomas Jefferson Hospital.
"Untreated, it's potentially fatal but it's a slow illness."
US Airways says an investigation is underway to learn why the man was allowed to board the flight.
Officials say the CDC determines if someone should be placed on the Do Not Board list for medical reasons. The information is then relayed to the TSA which passes it along to the airlines.
The security breach is yet another black eye to the industry. Just last week, 3 TSA bomb sniffing dogs at the airport failed their recertification.
US Airways says it's notifying passengers who were on the flight. The CDC and Flomenberg says the risk of transmission was very low because of the duration of the flight.
"The World Health Organization does not recommend any particular further evaluation for passengers on a flight less than 8 hours."
There are several lists involving flying. You have the Do Not Board list for medical reasons. The Do Not Fly list for suspected terrorists, and so forth. But later on this year transportation officials say the TSA will only have one list and they believe that could cut through the red tape and prevent breakdowns like this weekend.
