FUMES SICKEN 20 ON PASSENGER FLIGHT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Methamphetamine fumes coming from a piece of
luggage aboard a commercial plane sickened 20 passengers Friday evening,
officials said.

The crew of United Airlines Flight 1190, traveling from Denver to Des
Moines, reported a strange odor from a garment bag stuffed into an overhead
compartment, said Scott Williams, Des Moines International Airport
operations manager.

The odor grew stronger as the 90-minute flight wore on, United spokeswoman
Wendy Parson said.

"The flight crew kind of narrowed the smell down to something in one of the
overhead bins and ... removed a bag from the overhead bin and put it in the
back," Parson said.

The crew alerted local authorities after the plane made its scheduled
landing, she said.

About 20 passengers complained of nausea, but none needed to go to a
hospital, said Linda Frangenberg, a spokeswoman for the Des Moines Fire
Department.

The bag held "methamphetamine oil," containing ether and other chemicals,
Frangenberg said.

Passengers were questioned by law enforcement authorities, Parson said.
Investigators weren't immediately sure who owned the bag.