From the NY Times (2/15/15)-
LOS ANGELES — 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.
The
woman stomped the scorpion to death, and flight attendants checked
overhead compartments for any additional unwanted arachnids, Cosgrove
said. It's unclear how the scorpion got on the plane, but the flight
originated in Los Cabos, Mexico, where scorpions are common, he said.
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.
Oregon State Coach Wayne Tinkle told ESPN that the woman was sitting two rows in front of him.
"The
woman was a real champ," Tinkle said. "She acted like it was a mosquito
bite. They got it off her, but the needle was stuck."
