Maggots ground US flight

Jul 1, 2010, 12:43 GMT

Washington - A US Airways flight had to return to the gate after maggots fell from an overhead bin onto passengers' seats, news reports said.

Flight 1537 from Atlanta, Georgia bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, was taxiing Monday when passengers noticed the maggots falling on their heads, Fox 5 television reported Wednesday.

'I could see and hear a commotion behind me,' Donna Adamo, a passenger, said 'A couple of women getting very upset, so a flight attendant came back and told them to sit down, and then one particular woman got out of her seat and started tapping herself.'

'The maggots just spilled from the bin,' she said.

A passenger had brought spoiled meat on board in a carry-on bag and stored it in the overhead bin.

The pilot announced the plane would return to the gate because of a 'minor emergency' on board, while flight attendants urged passengers to remain calm.

Once the plane returned to the gate, the passengers were asked to get off, and cleaning crew cleared out the maggots. The plane then continued to its destination, where it was taken out of service and fumigated as a precaution US Airways said.

The passenger responsible for the maggot infestation was 're-accommodated to another airline' for his onward flight to New York, the airline said.