The 65-year-old lawyer was met by police officers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Judith Kenney was released later Wednesday, said her attorney, Dallas lawyer David Finn.
Kenney carries a handgun for protection but had forgotten that it was in a computer bag she carried on board the plane, he said. She has no criminal history, he said.
Screeners at a security checkpoint had detected a gun in a woman's carry-on bag but she "picked up the bag and left the checkpoint before the screening process was over," said Greg Soule, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, which operates the checkpoints.
When TSA screeners spot a gun in a bag, they are supposed to seize the bag and notify police, he said.
An airline spokesman said Wednesday that the plane was headed for the runway when it returned to the gate and was met by airport police.
For more interesting articles to help you improve your Aviation English please visit http://aviationenglish.com and LIKE our Facebook Page.
.jpg "Workplace English Campaign")