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CHICAGO: A Southwest Airlines flight between Seattle and Dallas was turned back after discovering that a human heart had been left on board, officials said Thursday.
The plane had flown east of Idaho – about 950 km – when staff discovered the "essential cargo", destined to be delivered to a Seattle hospital after its transport from California.
"Once we understood the mistake, we immediately worked to get back to Seattle," airline spokesman Dan Landson told AFP.
The airline did not indicate the name of the company that shipped the unit, nor confirmed any details.
But the Seattle Times reported that the captain had told horrified passengers that the cargo was a human heart.
It is thought that the mistake was wasted for four hours – three hours in the air – and experts say that a human heart can usually be stored for four to six hours for a transplant.
Andrew Gottschalk, a doctor who has no connection with the incident, described the shock to his passengers when they connected to the Internet discovered the small window of viability of a heart transplant.
He told The Times that the incident was a "horrific story of gross negligence". The newspaper was not able to locate the hospital where the heart had been sent.
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