Summary
- American Airlines flight AA1680 was forced to divert to Jacksonville because of a passenger by chance discharging pepper spray on board, causing panic.
- The aircraft was thoroughly cleaned and passengers were transferred to a separate plane, which departed for LaGuardia Airport.
- Pepper spray isn’t allowed in carry-on bags and American Airlines prohibits defense sprays on its aircraft. FAA will investigate the incident.
A flight that had departed from Miami International Airport (MIA) was forced to divert to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) on Sunday, August 20. The flight, which was American Airlines flight AA1680, diverted after a passenger inadvertently discharged their pepper spray while onboard the aircraft. The pepper spray spread throughout the cabin, causing passengers to panic because of the lingering spray.
Diversion essential
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX, was originally sure for LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in Recent York after its departure from Miami late Sunday evening. The passenger in query by chance triggered their bottle of pepper spray shortly after takeoff. This caused the aircraft to divert to Jacksonville, and it landed on the airport around 18:30 local time.
The aircraft was immediately cleaned thoroughly by American Airlines staff members upon arrival and the deplaning of passengers. Nonetheless, the passengers boarded a separate aircraft shortly after arriving. The aircraft, which was a Boeing 737-800, was in a position to depart Jacksonville Airport around 19:15 local time. The flight then reached its original destination of LaGuardia around 35 minutes after midnight.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
In accordance with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), pepper spray bottles will not be allowed in carry-on bags. Nonetheless, a four-fluid ounce, or 118 ml, container is allowed in checked baggage. The pepper spray must even be equipped with a security mechanism to stop accidental discharge. As well as, some airlines prevent pepper spray even in checked bags. American Airlines currently doesn’t allow defense sprays comparable to pepper spray or mace aboard its aircraft in any respect. American Airlines didn’t immediately respond for comment.
Moreover, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said that it’s going to investigate the incident. An announcement released by the FAA said,
“American Airlines Flight 1680, a Boeing 737, diverted to Jacksonville International Airport in Florida around 6:30 p.m. local time Sunday, Aug. 20, after a bottle of pepper spray was inadvertently sprayed within the cabin.”
Other recent American Airlines incidents
The airline has been within the news several times over the past few weeks for various in-air incidents or diversions. Late last week, an American Airlines Airbus A319 was forced to return to its departing airport after the crew was forced to shut an engine down. The aircraft, originally intended for Phoenix, was forced to divert back to Memphis International Airport. The crew received a right-hand engine stall because it was climbing, and the crew responded by shutting the engine down. The aircraft returned to Memphis safely, and the flight was eventually canceled.
Photo: Carlos Yudica | Shutterstock
One other American Airlines flight experienced depressurization earlier this month. An American Eagle Embraer ERJ145 was flying between Charlotte (CLT) and Gainesville (GNV) on August 10. Nonetheless, a pressurization issue was noticed by the crew midway through the flight. For this reason, the aircraft descended nearly 15,000 feet in lower than three minutes. The aircraft, which was originally flying at 29,900 feet, accomplished the rest of its flight at 10,050 feet. The airline released a press release in regards to the incident, stating,
“While in flight, the crew received a sign of a possible pressurization issue and immediately and safely descended to a lower altitude. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience and thank our team for his or her professionalism.”
The aircraft landed safely in Gainesville just after 17:00 local time. There have been no reported injuries.