Pepper spray canister harms 15 people on Hawaiian Airlines flight

'Everyone was coughing and then we were coughing. And the flight attendants were covering their faces and passengers started covering their faces'

(YouTube)

15 people have been treated for respiratory issues after a can of pepper spray went off inside a Hawaiian Airlines plane.

A passenger illegally brought the pepper spray on board the flight travelling from Oakland, California to Maui, which resulted in 12 passengers and three flight attendants requiring emergency treatment at the airport in Kahalui, Hawaii.

According to airline spokesman Alex Da Silva, the canister discharged accidentally, but the airline did not reveal why officials believe it wasn’t on purpose.

There were 256 passengers and 10 crew members on board the Boeing 767 - the flight crew declared an emergency in order to have priority landing at the airport.

Nicholas Andrade said he and his fiancée were trying to take a nap in their seats just behind first class when the problems began.

“I was woken up by someone having a coughing fit,” he says. “But what I came to find out is that it wasn't one person coughing, it was many people coughing. And then everyone was coughing and then we were coughing. And the flight attendants were covering their faces and passengers started covering their faces.”

As passengers struggled to breathe, many started shouting out.

“People were definitely panicked,” adds Andrade.

At this point, cabin crew told the affected passengers to go to the back of the plane where the air was clearer. Roughly 40 people stood in the back galley for about half an hour while they waited for the air around their seats to improve.

Andrade was among the 12 evaluated by medical professionals after the plane landed. While he had a headache and felt light-headed, other passengers had burning and watering eyes.

Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said in an email that her agency and Maui police are investigating.

She said the canister held about 1.5 ounces (42 grams) and that the fine for bringing pepper spray onto an airplane can reach $1,960 or higher.

The airline said the flight was delayed earlier on Friday after a teenager in Oakland sent a photo depicting a fake crime scene “featuring a child-sized mannequin” to other passengers’ mobile phones. The teen and his family were booked for a later flight while officials investigated.

Hawaiian Airlines said the two incidents were not related and the family’s baggage had to be located and removed from the plane, causing the delay.