The security line at LaGuardia's Terminal B was shut down for 40 minutes on Saturday while the TSA searched for a passenger whose bag needed to be rescreened, officials said.
The passenger passed through the security line at about 2:35 p.m. and had a bag that required further screening, but agents grabbed the wrong bag, said Tom Kelly, a spokesman at TSA.
The TSA shut down the security operation at the terminal for about 40 minutes while agents found the passenger, rescreened the bag and cleared the passenger, Kelly said.
The public was never in jeopardy.
Jonathan Gonzalez, an anchor at NBC Los Angeles, was waiting in the line. He said that people were sitting on the ground and feared they would miss their flights.
Passengers weren't told the reason for the delay, he said in a tweet.
