A Disturbing Photo And A Rogue Can of Pepper Spray Cause State of Emergency for Hawaii Flight

A Hawaiian Airlines flight to Maui last Friday was bookended by two passenger-related incidents that led to the flight crew activating emergency protocols and first responders meeting the flight when it landed in Hawaii. At issue? A disturbing photograph that was accidentally shared and a rogue can of pepper spray.

Passengers on Hawaiian Airlines Flight 23 from Oakland to Maui last Friday may have sighed in relief when they finally took off an hour and a half after their plane had been returned to their boarding gate. The cause of the delay was a disturbing picture that had been airdropped to about fifteen travelers.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of the threat and showed up at the scene to discover that numerous passengers had been alarmed at receiving a photograph of a mock crime scene showing a mannequin facedown and surrounded by numbered markers.

Sergeant Ray Kelly, from the Sheriff’s Office, explained to KGO-TV that the picture had been accidentally shared by a fifteen-year-old girl trying to airdrop the photo to her mother as a joke. Because she used bluetooth, other passengers also saw the picture and alerted the flight crew of their concerns.

Kelly shared that the girl was “very embarrassed” at being the cause of the delay, but that she was not “in trouble” with the law because of her prank. Though removed from the flight for questioning, the girl and her mother were rebooked on another flight the next day.

But the mishaps for Flight 23 didn’t end there. Passengers in the front cabin, perhaps already on high alert after the earlier incident, informed the flight crew of an unpleasant smell soon after takeoff. The crew reseated the travelers and declared a state of emergency so that the plane could land quickly and be greeted by first responders when it reached its destination.

In Maui, authorities discovered that the smell originated from a canister of pepper spray that had been accidentally discharged on the plane. TSA prohibits pepper spray in carry-on luggage, so the airline is further investigating the incident.

Hawaiian apologized to the passengers and issued each traveler a $500 travel credit.

[Photo: Shutterstock]