SAN DIEGO – At least 20 flights were delayed at Lindbergh Field Wednesday morning because of a security breach at Terminal 2.

The terminal was closed at 9 a.m. and was reopened about two hours later but several flights were held from taking off and landing, airport spokeswoman Sharie Shipley said.

Carry-on information For information on the ban on liquids and other requirements for flying, go to www.tsa.gov.

The breach happened after a passenger put a bag on the conveyor belt to have it screened and a security officer wanted to further inspect it, but lost track of the bag, said Nico Melendez, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.

The bag appeared to have exceeded the requirements governing the amount of liquids that can be carried. Also in the bag was a tennis shoe that appeared to have a built-in pedometer device, Melendez said.

Security officers tried to find the passenger and the bag but they did not have a good description of the person and didn't know the destination of the bag.

Officials decided to evacuate several hundred travelers in the terminal and have them go through security once again, Melendez said.

The security breach caused delays for flights on U.S. Airways, America West, Continental, and Delta.

Shipley said travelers going through or picking up people at Lindbergh Field Wednesday should check with their airlines before going to the airport. Passengers should also know the rules on liquids before flying, Melendez said.

“If this passenger didn't have those liquids, none of this would have happened,” Melendez said.

Steve Alper of La Mesa, a clinical social worker heading to Atlanta for a seminar, said his Delta Airlines flight was delayed almost two hours.

He said he waited in a very long line and once on the plane was told that the flight had to be re-routed and the jet refueled because of the incident. It finally took off about 1:30 p.m.

He said authorities at the airport offered no explanation as to what was going on but that for the most part people seemed to be taking the delays in stride.

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