Hoax Over SARS Leads to Isolation of Plane at LAX

A Southwest Airlines jetliner was isolated on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport for more than an hour Thursday after a passenger told a flight attendant he might be infected with the mysterious respiratory illness SARS, a claim later determined to be a hoax.

Southwest’s Flight 995 from Houston and Phoenix eventually taxied to its normal arrival gate and the five crew members and 122 of the 123 passengers deplaned.

A medical examination showed that the man did not have an elevated temperature or any other symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome, the disease that has killed at least 78 people and sickened more than 2,500 worldwide.

The man, whose name was not released, was freed about 6 p.m. after local and federal authorities decided a crime had not been committed, said Nancy Castles, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Department of Airports.

Airport officials said the plane was en route from Phoenix to Los Angeles when the man told a flight attendant he was feeling ill, had recently been to Hong Kong and might have SARS.

The disease has been spreading rapidly through eastern Asia.

The pilot was notified and, after landing about 4 p.m. at LAX, the Boeing 737 taxied to a remote area at the west end of the airport.

Paramedics and health officials met the plane there.

“When he saw all that, he said he had just been kidding,” Castles said.

It was not known whether other passengers knew what had happened, but health officials were angry.

Dr. Jonathan Fielding, public health director for Los Angeles County, said he was shocked that anyone “would treat this serious issue so cavalierly.”

“I don’t know what was in the individual’s head, but I hope others will learn from this,” Fielding said.

On Tuesday, an American Airlines plane from Asia with 139 on board was isolated for two hours at the airport in San Jose after several passengers complained of symptoms similar to those of SARS.

It later was determined that none of the passengers had the disease.

Castles said that, since the incident in San Jose, officials at LAX have developed a plan for dealing with planes that carry passengers suspected of having SARS.

Under the plan, she said, the planes would proceed to their normal arrival gates, where health officials and Fire Department paramedics would meet them.

People suspected of having SARS would be taken to nearby health facilities. Passengers seated within a few rows of anyone infected would be examined. They would be advised to take their temperatures every two hours for about 10 days and to call health officials if they developed symptoms.

All other passengers would be given cards with information on the disease and its treatment.

Normal cleaning procedures are deemed adequate to prevent spread of the infection, and aircraft would not be quarantined or taken out of service.

On Thursday -- the first time it was used -- the plan was amended and health officials met the plane on the tarmac instead of at the gate.

As of Thursday morning, California health officials had reported 31 suspected cases of SARS, including seven in Los Angeles County, two in Orange County and one in Ventura County.

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Times staff writers Jose Cardenas and Jennifer Oldham contributed to this report.