Incident Overview
On 14 February 1992, Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 386, a Boeing 747-287B, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport after originating from Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a scheduled stopover at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru. The aircraft carried 336 passengers and 20 crew members on the Lima–Los Angeles leg. Of the passengers, 297 had the United States as their final destination, two were bound for Canada, and 37 continued to Japan.
Contaminated shrimp was loaded onto the aircraft in Lima, one year after a cholera outbreak began in Peru. Shortly after landing, five passengers exhibited symptoms of cholera. Within several days, the number of symptomatic individuals rose to 76. One passenger, a man in his early seventies, died from the illness. The cholera did not spread to other areas within the United States.
Catering and Blame
The Peruvian caterer that supplied the food to Aerolíneas Argentinas in Lima also provided service to other airlines on the same day without reported illness. However, Aerolíneas Argentinas attributed the contamination to the caterer, leading to a dispute that resulted in the airline being banned from operating in Peruvian territory.
Regulatory Response
An investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration highlighted the fragmented nature of food safety regulations. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) stated that subcontracting catering or other services does not relieve an operator of its safety responsibilities.
In 1995, the World Health Organization, in consultation with ICAO and the International Maritime Organization, developed explicit agreements to manage the risk of transmission of cholera and other infectious diseases via air and sea travel. These agreements led to improvements in aircraft disinfection procedures by 1998. ICAO now adopts advice from the International Travel Catering Association.