Unidentified Flying Odor

A mysterious, as-yet unidentified liquid was found in the cargo hold of a Continental Airlines plane at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport on Friday, physically sickening three airport workers who came upon it.

The Houston Fire Department was called to the airport at 8:45 a.m. after three baggage workers unloading the cargo hold became sick from the odor. The plane had arrived at about 8 a.m. from Fort Myers, Fla.

The workers were given an eye wash at a Continental clinic at the airport and then released, said airline spokesman David Messing. Two of the employees went back to work.

No passengers were affected by the odor, officials said.

Firefighters with the hazardous materials unit found a drop of some liquid on a U.S. postal service box. The liquid, which was slightly acidic, was run through a database but no match was found, Dowdy said.

I'm no chemist, but it seems mildly troubling that we aren't able to identify the liquid.  Isn't "name that substance" technology something we've got licked by now?

Let's see... it's acidic, being in its presence makes you sick, and it was found on an airplane.  Any guesses?

Not to be outdone by the mystery stench, area jokesters got in on the airport security fun.

Later in the day, the fire department was called out to Bush again after receiving reports of smoke coming from one of the men's restrooms. Officials said the smoke was caused by dry ice put in one of the toilets.

Houston Fire Department District Chief Tommy Dowdy said that he is not sure if the incident was a practical joke.

"You look at this stuff and people have a really weird sense of humor at times like this," he said.