Leaking lime juice sends responders to cargo jet

KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) — A mysterious liquid leaking on a cargo jet sent emergency responders to the island that is home to the Ketchikan, Alaska, airport.

Turns out, a bartender with a dish towel could have handled the problem.

The Ketchikan Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/1uLea7N) the leak Tuesday on the Alaska Airlines 737-700 was traced to a container of lime juice that broke open during a flight from Seattle.

Alaska Airlines spokesman Cole Cosgrove says workers first detected the sour-smelling liquid coming from a cargo container.

Airport staff took a cautious approach and called for emergency responders from the Ketchikan Fire Department to take a ferry to the airport on Gravina Island.

The leaking lime juice was diagnosed as the source at 7:30 p.m.

Ketchikan cargo was unloaded, and the jet continued to Sitka, Juneau and Anchorage.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up