A United Airlines flight was “quarantined” immediately after landing in Texas last Friday after 25 passengers on the flight suddenly fell ill.
The pilot, who has a lengthy aviation career, said he had never been ordered grounded by the federal government until the CDC told him one was permitted to leave the aircraft.
United Airlines flight 1528 left Vancouver, British Columbia, en route to Houston last Friday.
However, passengers began to fall ill just several hours into the flight, with most reporting feeling nauseous.
According to one passenger, James Snell, the sickness spread roughly 90 minutes before the plane landed, forcing the flight crew to isolate d those who fell ill to a group of people who had come off a cruise ship.
25 of 75 people who had been on a cruise ship had reported symptoms.
Snell said the situation grew more peculiar after the plane landed.
“Then all of a sudden, the flight attendant, she put on a mask, and the guy next to me is like, ‘What do you think’s going on?’ Snell told KPRC.
“And I’m like, ‘Bro, I don’t know. You know? I mean, COVID, we’re all going to die.’ You know what I mean.”
The man said the plane was met by “firetrucks and ambulances” and that passengers were held there briefly.
Even the pilot said the situation was unprecedented.
“This is where it got weird,” the man added.
“[The pilot] got over the speaker, but he came out to us, and he said, ‘Hey, in my 25 years of flying, I’ve never seen anything like this. We have been quarantined by the CDC. Nobody can exit the plane until the CDC lets us off.'”
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After about 45 minutes, Snell said the passengers were eventually let off the plane before being screened by health professionals.
The CDC and United Airlines said in separate statements that the situation was an isolated one.
Both the CDC and United Airlines said in separate statements that the situation was an isolated
The airline said in a statement:
“Several passengers who had been on the same cruise and did not feel well were on United Flight 1528 from Vancouver to Houston tonight. United Airlines is actively coordinating with health authorities to address the situation.”
The airliner said the aircraft involved would be sterilized and pilled from service.
United said:
“As a precautionary measure, the aircraft will be removed from service and go through a deep cleaning before returning to service. Ensuring the health and safety of our passengers and crew remains our top priority.”
The CDC said in a statement that its actions were precautionary:
“Public health officers from CDC’s Houston Port Health Station worked with EMS to evaluate ill passengers on board. Most of the ill passengers reported mild GI symptoms,” the agency said.
“No passengers were noted to have a fever during the flight or upon public health assessment at landing. No passengers met CDC criteria for further public health follow-up. Passengers from the flight continued with their travel plans.”
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