Unscheduled Jet Stop Blamed on Pepper Spray
HONOLULU — A Northwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Kansai, Japan, stopped in Hawaii on Friday after the apparent release of pepper spray in the rear of the aircraft, a state official said.
Fifteen members of Northwest Flight 25’s crew and three ground cleanup workers at Honolulu International Airport were released after being treated at the Queen’s Medical Center for sore throats, runny eyes and headaches, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marilyn Kali said.
Northwest spokesman Jon Austin said 332 passengers were aboard the Boeing 747. The jet was diverted after it had been in the air five hours.
A Honolulu airport fire crew entered the jet when it landed about 4 p.m. and reported a peppery smell, but couldn’t find its source, Kali said.
The plane’s doors were opened to vent the aircraft, and the flight resumed about four hours later with all of its passengers and a new crew.
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