Instant cooker left at Willard Airport leads to police response

SAVOY, Ill. (WCIA) — A passenger tried to bring an unusual object with them on a plane at Willard Airport: an instant cooker.

It ended up causing the police to come. It’s not everyday someone tries to take a kitchen appliance with them on a flight — but the TSA wasn’t having it.

The instant cooker in the passenger’s checked luggage was rejected. So, the person left it on the front curb of the terminal. Then someone saw it and reported it to airport officials.

University of Illinois Police came to make sure everything was safe. Within one hour, they gave the all clear.

Willard’s Fire Marshal John Cumbee said it was out of an abundance of caution that they followed procedure.

“Just leaving anything as simple as a diaper bag or a purse could raise suspicion,” he said. “While those things happen, again, we have the process to vet what’s going on or where it is and be able to figure it out as to whether it’s actually a threat or not.”

Airport officials said there were no delayed flights or any other disruptions due to the cooker.

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