Update - no longer white powder, now it is a liquid.
Suspicious liquid shuts Ft. Wayne airport
Associated Press
August 18, 2004
FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- A liquid leaked from an unclaimed bag today inside the Fort Wayne International Airport, causing some workers to report feeling ill and prompting authorities to halt passenger service.
The owner of the bag told FBI agents that the substance was a liquid used in making perfume, said Tory Richardson, the airport's executive director. Tests were being conducted to determine whether that account was correct.
"It appears as though he's cooperating," Richardson said of the bag's owner.
Tests found no air contamination in the airport terminal, he said.
The bag's owner was a doctor traveling from Lebanon who apparently flew into the country on Tuesday, but was not on the flight to Fort Wayne, Richardson said.
FBI special agent Wendy Osborne, a spokeswoman for the agency's Indianapolis office, said investigators knew who owned the bag containing the substance, but would not immediately release any information about the owner.
"The FBI along with members of the Transportation Security Administration are working on conducting interviews, even outside the state of Indiana," she said.
Six people -- four airport workers and two emergency responders -- were decontaminated after the liquid was first noticed leaking from a bag left unclaimed about an hour after the 1:50 a.m. arrival of an American Eagle flight from Chicago, airport officials said.
Richardson said a field test was inconclusive and that a second sample was sent to a laboratory for further testing. None of the workers were seriously ill, he said.
"I think they were feeling ill, nauseated," Richardson said.
After the leaking bag was discovered, workers opened it and found a broken bottle, airport spokeswoman Sandra Lux said
One worker became ill and two others started itching, Lux said. Two other bottles found inside the bag were wrapped and did not break, she said.
It was not immediately clear why the flight was allowed to travel to Fort Wayne without the bag's owner on board. Airport officials referred those questions to American Eagle.
A message seeking comment was left for an airline spokesman.
Airport officials closed the passenger terminal about 3:45 a.m., with it to remain closed until the substance was identified, Lux said. Charter and cargo flights were continuing at the airport.
About a dozen flights had been delayed by midmorning, Lux said.
http://www.indystar.com/articles/9/171265-1029-093.html
Fort Wayne-WANE, August 18, 2004) - A mysterious liquid leaking from a piece of luggage has forced the closure of Fort Wayne International Airport. 6 people became sick from the liquid; 4 were airport employees and 2 were emergency personnel. Airport authorities became aware of the liquid at around 3:15 this morning when American Eagle workers noticed an unclaimed bag from a flight that had landed earlier in the morning from Chicago. NewsChannel 15 has learned the baggage belongs to a doctor from Beirut, Lebanon who is still in Chicago. He's being questioned by the FBI. It's unknown why he remained in Chicago while his bag travelled on to Fort Wayne. That's a violation of federal regulations. The liquid has been sent to a lab for analysis, but so far the results have been inconclusive. At this time the airport is tentatively scheduled to open sometime this morning. Watch NewsChannel 15 for the latest details, or check back here at wane.com.
Isn't this the second leaky-chemical-to-make-perfume incident in recent weeks?
Dangers of ingredients in perfume:
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/hrfragrance.htm
"making perfume"...interesting choice of words. Don't they use perfume to suggest a weapon?