Date: January 9, 2008
Source: Associated Press

CHICAGO - A cleaning crew in Beijing discovered eight baby mice aboard a United Airlines plane that landed in the Chinese capital, airline officials said Wednesday.

The crew found the mice in a pillowcase that was located in a bin for unused pillows, said Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for Chicago-based United. No passengers were on board at the time, she said.

The mice were found after United Flight 897 from Washington, D.C., arrived in Beijing on Sunday.

"Our customers on this flight were always safe and unaware of the situation," Urbanski said.

The airline told local authorities about the mice, which is standard procedure, Urbanski said. The Chinese officials took the mice and "thoroughly inspected (the plane) for a little over two days," she said.

The plane was back in service and flew to San Francisco from Beijing on Wednesday, Urbanski said.

Chinese authorities did not impose any sanctions or fines on the airline, she said.