Woman stung by scorpion on flight that originated in Mexico, heading to Portland
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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 22: An Alaska Airlines jet passes the air traffic control tower at Los Angles International Airport (LAX) during take-off on April 22, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. Delays have been reported throughout the nation because of the furloughing of air traffic controllers under sequestration. The average delay overnight in the Southern California Terminal Radius Approach Control (TRACON) was was three hours. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) (2013 Getty Images)
A scorpion stung a woman on the hand just before her flight from Los Angeles to Portland took off.
Flight 567 was taxiing on the runway Saturday night when the passenger was stung, Alaska Airlines spokesman Cole Cosgrove said. The plane returned to the gate, and the woman was checked by medics. She refused additional medical treatment, but she didn't get back on the plane.
Meanwhile, flight attendants killed the scorpion and checked overhead compartments for any additional unwanted arachnids. The flight then took off at 8:40 p.m., about an hour late. Members of Oregon State University's men's basketball team were on the flight, Cosgrove said.
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It's unclear how the scorpion got on the plane, but the flight originated in Los Cabos, Mexico, he said.
Oregon State Coach Wayne Tinkle told ESPN that the woman was sitting two rows in front of him.
"The plane was coming from Mexico before us, and (the scorpion) was on the plane," Tinkle said. "The woman was a real champ. She acted like it was a mosquito bite. They got it off her, but the needle was stuck."
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