This is by no means the best article on this, but a Google News search will give you a couple dozen better articles on this very bizarre screw-up.
-DN

http://home.abc28.com/Global/story.asp?S=1327076

Alana Darveaux
Are You David Nelson?

Terrorist attacks on the US are causing flying troubles for "David Nelsons" across the country.

The name, David Nelson, is on a top-secret terrorist list. People with that name are having to undergo extra security checks at airports.

There are almost 200 David Nelsons in the state of Texas. Here in Lubbock, there are three David Nelsons listed in the phone book. One is a former city councilman and an attorney.

Another David Nelson, a retired oil man, is no stranger to traveling problems. "The only time I've actually been pulled over and detained was in Lubbock one time," he says. "They took me off to the side, and I was waiting and finally they came up and said, 'Well, there was a David Nelson from California, that was a terrorist and they had to make sure I wasn't him.' There's been several times in other airports to where there's been delays and I'm not sure if that's pertained to it."

Mark Earle, the Director of Aviation at Lubbock International Airport, says he suspects the airlines will soon come up with a system to immediately validate passengers identities. "The airlines are under instruction to identify people by name, so when somebody shows up who happens to have the same name, they're getting stopped at least initially, until they validate that that's not the person that was actually identified on the list," explains Earle.

But until then, it will still be an inconvenience for the David Nelsons of the U.S.

If your name is David Nelson and you would like to avoid future airport problems, you can call the Transportation Security Administration at 571-227-2383.