An Indiana man says all he wants is an apology from a Florida TSA agent after she spilled his grandfather's ashes.

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John Gross was leaving Florida with his grandfather's remains in a tightly sealed jar marked "Human remains".

But, he ran into a problem when he got to the security checkpoint at the Orlando airport.

"They opened up my bag, and I told them, 'Please, be careful. These are my grandpa's ashes'. She picked up the jar. She opened it up," Gross explained.

Gross says about a quarter to a third of the jar's contents spilled onto the floor. He frantically tried to gather up as much as he could.

"I was told later on that she had no right to even open it. That they could have used other devices, like an X-ray machine. So, she opened it up. She used her finger and was sifting through it, and then she accidentally spilled it," Gross continued.

TSA rules say a crematory container in carry-on baggage must pass through the x-ray machine at the security checkpoint.

Gross said, "She didn't apologize. She started laughing. I was on my hands and knees picking up bone fragments. I couldn't pick up all, everything that was lost. I mean, there was a long line behind me."

Now, Gross just wants one thing.

"I want an apology, I want an apology from TSA," Gross said.

According to the TSA website, human remains are to be opened under "no circumstances".

So far, the agency has not responded.