April 26, 2005
ASSOCIATED PRESS
An airline passenger's MP3 player and three vials harmless herbal remedies led to an emergency landing at O'Hare International Airport, the evacuation of 74 passengers and crew and a search of the plane Tuesday by the Chicago Police bomb squad.
The United Airlines flight was headed from New York to San Francisco when a passenger told a flight attendant he saw another passenger with suspicious materials, United spokesman Jeff Green said.
The flight crew looked at the materials, and the pilot decided to land at O'Hare. The 66 passengers and eight crew members were evacuated while the bomb squad inspected the materials and the plane, Green said.
The material turned out to be wires, an MP3 player and homeopathic medicines, said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Ann Davis.
"It was nothing detrimental," said Chicago Police spokesman John Mirabelli. He said the three vials contained herbal liquids.
The passenger who brought the items was cleared to reboard the flight, which continued its flight to San Francisco after about three hours at O'Hare, Green said.
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66 passengers and the crew of a New York to San Francisco UAL flight got an unwanted stop in the "Windy City," Chicago, on Tuesday, following a bomb scare.

United Air Lines spokesman Jeff Green said a flight attendant was alerted by a passenger to another passenger's suspicious materials and wires. The crew decided to divert the flight to O’Hare, empty the plane, and allow the bomb squad to inspect for safety.

They discovered vials of herbal liquids, some wires, and an MP3 player. “Nothing detrimental,” according to Chicago police.

The passenger and music player were reunited, everybody re-boarded the aircraft, and with three hours lost, the flight took off for San Francisco.