Source – Operations were returning to normal Friday morning at Terminal 2 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after a suspicious package prompted an evacuation shortly after 6 a.m., delaying flights.

A woman with a propane tank in a box aroused the suspicion of TSA agents, who initially refused to let her pass through security and head to her flight at what was once known as the Humphrey Terminal, said airport spokesman Patrick Hogan.

The rebuffed passenger left the 2-by-2-foot box, which had tubes sticking out of the top, at a Tavel Express gift shop, then went back to checkpoint 1 at the south end of the terminal and boarded her plane, Hogan said. But she was soon removed from the plane and questioned by Airport Police, Hogan added.

Once the Bloomington bomb squad determined the tank “was not an explosive device and not intended for that purpose,” business at the terminal was allowed to get back to normal around 8 a.m., Hogan said. He said he did not know whether the tank held any propane.

During the disruption, travelers were not allowed into the terminal to check in or to check their baggage, causing the flight delays. Travelers who already had cleared security and were in gate areas were allowed to remain there and board.

Police were investigating the incident, and Hogan said he was unsure whether the woman was still detained or whether she will be charged.

Airlines using Terminal 2 include: Sun Country, Southwest, AirTran, Spirit and Icelandair.

I’m not really sure what to say here. I was under the impression that everyone understood that you can’t bring propane tanks on planes. I know there’s a long checklist of items that aren’t allowed on aircrafts, but propane tanks have to be close to the top. In what galaxy is it a smart idea to bring a package with tubes sticking out of it into the airport? Also, why wasn’t this woman detained? So no one knows where she is? I don’t know if I feel comfortable knowing a woman who brought a propane tank into the airport is just roaming around. Even if she’s not trying to blow anything up, she’s clearly a moron. That kind of stupidity shouldn’t be free to walk around anywhere. She needs a nice padded cell where she can become best buddies with her invisible friends.

– Ryan