Pilot left gun behind in the cockpit of a Delta plane

ATLANTA – A pilot left a handgun in the cockpit of a Delta Air Lines jet, where it was found by an airline ground worker.

Delta declined Friday to identify the pilot or say whether the pilot faced punishment for the Feb. 18 incident. A Delta spokeswoman called those internal personnel matters.

She says Delta is working with authorities and will conduct its own review.

The Transportation Security says it's "aware of an incident at the Atlanta Airport involving agency issued equipment," adding that the public was never in danger.

Airline pilots who pass special training are issued guns and deputized by TSA to protect their planes against attack and piracy. The Federal Flight Deck Officer program was created after the September 2001 hijackings and terror attacks involving four U.S. airliners.