Philadelphia

“I Have Ebola”: Passenger Causes Scare on Flight That Departed From Philly

A man on a flight that left Philadelphia for an island paradise triggered a caught-on-camera Ebola scare on his plane when he reportedly sneezed and said, "I have Ebola."

US Airways Flight 845 left Philadelphia en route to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. When it arrived shortly after 1 p.m. local time, passengers were told to stay on the plane as crews in hazmat suits came onto the aircraft.

The flight "was met yesterday by local officials upon landing due to a possible health issue on board," US Air said in a statement afterward.

"We are following the direction of, and strictly adhering to, all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in place for airlines in response to the Ebola virus," the airline added.

An unidentified 54-year-old man had allegedly said "I have Ebola, you are all screwed," Dominican newspaper Diario Libre reported.

That led to the hazmat suit-clad workers boarding the plane, in a moment captured on passenger video.

"I think the man who said this is an idiot," said a flight attendant addressing passengers shortly before the workers came on board.

the whole thing appeared to be a prank. US Air said the flight was checked, and vacationers were allowed to go on their way.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but the safety of our customers and employees is our first priority," the airline added.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the passenger, who according to reports had no history of travel to Ebola-stricken parts of West Africa, was charged.

Contact Us