Hazmat Team Finds That Unknown Substance on Southwest Flight Was Tissue Box Fibers

Oct. 31, 2018

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2 min read

Hazmat Team Finds That Unknown Substance on Southwest Flight Was Tissue Box Fibers

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A Southwest plane was swept by a hazmat team at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) Monday night after an unknown substance was discovered in the aircraft lavatory. The substance ended up being innocuous paper fibers from a tissue box.

After the substance was discovered mid-flight, passengers on flight 239 from San Antonio (SAT) were deplaned after a safe landing at BWI, and the local law enforcement teams were brought in to investigate the substance, along with a hazmat team, out of what Southwest said was "an abundance of caution."

The Baltimore airport tweeted about the incident, noting that the all clear was given after authorities swept the plane.

Southwest says the plane was "cleared and returned to service."

"Flight #239 with scheduled service from San Antonio to Baltimore/Washington landed safely Monday night as scheduled," a representative for the carrier told TPG. "Local authorities met the aircraft to look into a then-unknown substance in one of the lavatories... they determined it was paper fibers from a tissue box. The aircraft was then cleared to return to service. "