Maggots ground US plane

A flight bound for North Carolina was forced to return to the gate in Atlanta after passengers noticed maggots falling from an overhead bin.

Passenger Donna Adamo said she noticed a couple of flies on the Monday flight when she got to her seat, but didn't think much of it. Then, as the plane was taxiing, she heard a passenger behind her causing a commotion and refusing to take her seat.

"Bugs just began to fall out of the overhead compartment, and they tried to get us to sit there, but it was evident they were right behind us in our seat," said Desiree Harrell, a passenger trying to get home to New York.

A passenger had the container in a carry-on bag and brought it on Monday's flight heading from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina, said US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher.

The pilot announced that they were returning to the gate because of a "minor emergency on board" and the flight attendants told everyone to sit down and be calm," Adamo said.

Once the plane returned to the gate, the passengers were asked to get off, and a crew boarded to clean up the mess.

The flight then continued on to Charlotte, where the plane was taken out of service and fumigated "out of an abundance of caution." The passenger who brought the spoiled meat on board did not get back on the plane and was put on another flight.