WEST PALM BEACH — Palm Beach County Fire Rescue crews are investigating reports of a "suspicious chemical powder" on a Southwest Airlines 737 jet this afternoon.
A flight crew member noticed the powder inside a tissue box on the plane, which was bound for Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Fire-rescue crews were dispatched to Palm Beach International Airport at 4:21 p.m.
The plane is on the tarmac and has been evacuated, said Capt. Don DeLucia, Fire-Rescue spokesman. A staging area has been set up at Gate B3.
There were 137 passengers aboard the plane, which seats about 140. The passengers are being kept on the tarmac while crews conduct their tests.
It was unclear what time it was to depart from PBIA.
Two crew members appear to have been exposed to the powder, Chase Scott, a spokesman for the city of West Palm Beach, told WPTV-5. They are being detained on the plane until hazardous-material workers can examine them.
The B Gate remains open for other flights.
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