BRKG Flight with ill passengers diverted to O'Hare

Flight with ill passengers diverted to O'Hare
October 8, 2008 at 9:43 PM | Comments (0)
A United Airlines flight was diverted to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport tonight after a number of passengers became sick on board the cross-country flight, Chicago fire officials said.


Flight No. 167 from Boston to Los Angeles was diverted to Chicago after a number of passengers began complaining of being ill, according a statement from the airline.

A Chicago Fire Department spokesman said paramedics checked out as many as 14 passengers who reportedly began getting sick on the plane mid-flight. Four people were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with flu-like symptoms.

The airline did not serve food on the flight and one passenger complained of not feeling good before the flight took off, officials said. Some of the sickened passengers on the flight were traveling as a tour group.

"The safety of our passengers is our top priority, and the captain made the right decision to land in Chicago so that our customers could receive appropriate medical attention," the statement said.

--Dan P. Blake, Chicago Tribune, and Kristina Miller, WGN-TV
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/10/emergency-response-called-at-ohare.html

I am NOT making light of this story but I just have to say it sure made me think of the Airplane! movie.

There was a thread posted earlier about local hospitals preparing for a flu pandemic...

(Edit: not sure where "local" was, by the way)

(Edit 2: the thread was here and it was in Michigan)

Wtf, no food was served and up to 14 people got sick mid flight?

Sounds airborne.



Keep us posted

Prayers going up for them.

ETA: I really hate it when they say "flu-like symptoms." It's so vague. What are flu-like symptoms? The stomach flu (which isn't really the flu at all) or the real flu, which is respiratory... I'm assuming they mean the stomach flu because they talk about eating.

1030 PM Update from WGN Radio (I love my headphones - Don't have to listen to John and Kate, which my wife is watching) -
Still no clues as to the cause of the illness....

SungodRa said:

Wtf, no food was served and up to 14 people got sick mid flight?

Sounds airborne.



Keep us posted

Click to expand...

My thoughts as well.

Wonder if those passengers who didn't apear ill, simply went on after the plane landed?

Imagine TPTB would have to allow them to do so.........

But... If those ill became so because of an airborne contangion; then ....... Well just let you mind play with the multiplying factor of exposure ater seemingly healthy passengers went their assorted ways ...........

It was vomiting - and some of the passengers were sympathy vomiters after smelling it.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-sickpassengers,0,3563260.story

snip

CHICAGO - A United Airlines plane was diverted to O'Hare International Airport on Wednesday night after about a dozen passengers became ill during a flight.

United Flight 167 was headed to Los Angeles from Boston but had to land in Chicago around 8:30 p.m. because of sick passengers on the plane, said Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride.

Paramedics evaluated 12 to 14 people, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Richard Rosado. Four were taken in "yellow," or fair condition, to a hospital.

Rosado did not immediately know what made the passengers sick, but he said at least some fell ill after smelling vomit on the plane.

end snip

Breeta said:

It was vomiting - and some of the passengers were sympathy vomiters after smelling it.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-sickpassengers,0,3563260.story

snip

CHICAGO - A United Airlines plane was diverted to O'Hare International Airport on Wednesday night after about a dozen passengers became ill during a flight.

United Flight 167 was headed to Los Angeles from Boston but had to land in Chicago around 8:30 p.m. because of sick passengers on the plane, said Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride.

Paramedics evaluated 12 to 14 people, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Richard Rosado. Four were taken in "yellow," or fair condition, to a hospital.

Rosado did not immediately know what made the passengers sick, but he said at least some fell ill after smelling vomit on the plane.

end snip

Click to expand...

That is a heck of lot of sympathy

tour group = could have eaten together earlier, food could have been spoiled, food poisoning, no fun

Cascadians said:

tour group = could have eaten together earlier, food could have been spoiled, food poisoning, no fun

Click to expand...

Yes, they may have had something tainted to eat or drink after clearing security while waiting to board. Touching common surfaces, drinking fountains...ickkk , yukky to even think about!

Airplanes I've been on are so absolutely overheated, hot, and filled with stale stinky air that I've never understood why half the people on them aren't puking their guts out. Especially when there is turbulence. I detest flying and avoid it at all costs.

A flu pandemic would not be good this close to the election.

Inhlation Anthrax starts with flu-like symptoms. Neumatic Plague starts with flu-like symptoms. It could be the flu or many other things. Scary.

The flu doesn't come on this soon after exposure......not many things do.

It would have to be sympathy illness from the others vomit - as stated in the story - or some sort of airborn toxin or allergen - maybe in the air cleaning system.?

Even the dreaded Norwalk virus, (that plagues the cruise ships) takes days to manifest in your body after exposure.

This is another reason why I don't fly. I'm asthmatic, and the dry air on the plane always gets me coughing on a long flight. I'm sure I'd be taken into "protective" custody.....

Neumatic Plague

Hmmmmm.....I always thought that was from runaway compressors. LOL, just jerking your strings a bit.

@ Taz. Glad you explained.