by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:30 PM ET, Thu March 2, 2017
On Sunday, officials conducting explosive residue tests discovered a positive hit for nitroglycerin on a plane at Los Angeles International Airport.
According to ABCNews.com, KLM Flight 602 was scheduled to depart from LAX to Amsterdam at 2 p.m. local time Sunday when Transportation Security Administration officers conducting explosive residue swab tests found a positive result.
Police at LAX were notified of the positive test sample and boarded the Boeing 747 with canine units. The authorities found no evidence of an explosive device and determined that there was no risk to passengers onboard, allowing the flight to depart for Amsterdam after a two-hour delay.
Flight 602 made it to Amsterdam safely and without any further incident.
The positive test for nitroglycerin doesn't necessarily confirm the presence of explosives, as the chemical can be prescribed to patients who suffer from coronary disease and is also used in ointments.
The discovery came as a shock to some officials at LAX, though, as they were not aware that TSA security officers conduct tests for the substance. The TSA said that it uses "seen and unseen tools to keep passengers safe."
"In addition to introducing a high level of unpredictability, and therefore deterrence, this type of random and unpredictable screening/inspection program represents another formidable layer of security and mitigates both unknown and insider threats," a TSA spokesperson told ABCNews.com.
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