78-Year-Old Among 185 Occupants Who Used Emergency Slides

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was among 179 passengers and six crewmembers who evacuated United Flight 586 using the inflatable slides Wednesday at Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC. The 78-year-old Ginsburg has undergone surgery and chemotherapy since being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2009, according to the Associated Press.

A spokeswoman for Ginsburg, Patricia McCabe Estrada, said the justice would not be commenting on the incident, but did say she was not injured. Three other passengers did incur minor injuries, but two reportedly refused treatment. The third was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Another passenger, Jodi Gersh, reported on her Twitter feed that there was an air of panic during the evacuation. "My plane just had an emergency evacuation — down the slides. I am shaking. I don't know why. People were screaming.

"Attendants opened rear door to see where smoke was coming from. They then started very loudly yelling 'everyone get out.' Very scary."

There's been no official confirmation of smoke or other details from the airline. The incident occurred as the plane was preparing for departure for San Francisco, but it returned to the gate after the evacuation.

FMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg