A mid-air incident causing several passengers and crew to fall ill was the result of the accidental discharge of banned pepper spray.
A dozen passengers and three flight attendants began suffering respiratory problems after the leakage happened about three hours into a flight from Oakland to Kahului, Hawaiian Airlines said.
A baby also threw up.
Although permitted in checked bags, it is banned by the TSA from carry-on luggage.
TSA officials are investigating the incident along with Maui police, and the passenger carrying the pepper spray on board may face fines of up to $13,000.
The pepper spray seems to have been contained in an unmarked canister not detected at TSA passenger screening.
According to passengers, ‘all of a sudden’ people in the front of the plane began coughing and finding it difficult to breathe.
Passengers in first and premium economy were instructed to move to the back of the plane for about 40 minutes until it was safe to return to their seats.
"Everyone was afraid," affected passenger Nicholas Andrade told Hawaii News Now.
All passengers requiring medical assistance on arrival were later released.
