Airline Passenger Mistook Pepper Spray For Hand Lotion, Forced Landing

An American Airlines flight from Miami to New York had to be diverted for an emergency landing in Jacksonville after a passenger reportedly accidentally gassed out the whole cabin with pepper spray.

According to one report, the woman claimed that she accidentally deployed the noxious chemical after mistaking it for hand sanitizer.

American Airlines Flight AA1680 had to divert to Jacksonville after the incident around 5pm on Sunday.

On Reddit, one user shared their significant other's experience on the flight. The said they heard passengers coughing and saying they couldn't see from the back of the plane.

It was unclear what was causing the disturbance but a flight attendant asked anyone who knew what was going on to come forward.

A woman eventually admitted to using the spray, but said it was truly an accident.

After the Boeing 737 Max 8 landed in Jacksonville, the woman, along with her partner and teenage son, were reportedly escorted off of the aircraft.

On the ground, paramedics were on hand to treat people who were affected by the spray. Police, meanwhile, got statements from passengers.

Passengers were forced to wait roughly four hours before they were finally taken to LaGuardia Airport on a different aircraft, finally arriving around 10:30 pm.

The TSA forbids pepper spray on flights. It's unclear how the family was able to bring it aboard the plane undetected.

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