SEATTLE - Twin sisters Victoria and Valerie Vaughn boarded a plane in good health, but ended up in the hospital after a mysterious mist filled the passenger cabin.
They say that Southwest Airlines has not answered their questions about the event that forced an emergency landing, so they've filed a court petition in which their Seattle lawyer asks a judge to compel Southwest to tell them more.
"No one has explained to them what they were exposed to, so that's why we're filing this petition. We need to know so their doctors can treat them," said Seattle aviation lawyer Alisa Brodkowitz.
The twins' lawyer says they're suffering pain, blurred vision, slurred speech and tremors.
It's the same type of illness the KING 5 Investigators reported on last year. Passenger Angie Estes of Wenatchee and former Seattle flight attendant Karen Burns are two of the passengers and crew worldwide who've reported debilitating illness after flying.
After five years of research, Dr. Clement Furlong of the Univeristy of Washington may be zeroing in on an explanation. He suspects that people are being poisoned by an engine oil additive that can leak in through the cabin air intake, located right next to the engine on all commercial airliners.
Dr. Furlong says he's in the final stages of his investigation.
Meanwhile, Boeing says its tests show cabin air is generally safe.
On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines said it had just received the court petition filed by the Vaughn twins and may have some comment on it Wednesday.
A hearing on the twin's petition has been set for next month in Los Angeles, where the flight originated.
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