Airport check stems flow of fruit from California

Inspectors are conducting surprise searches of airline employees at San Francisco International Airport to prevent them from carrying out fruit from the Santa Clara Valley, quarantined because of a Mediterranean fruit fly infestation. Inspectors have confiscated tons of fruit from passengers routinely checked at the airport, and 9 of the first 32 flight attendants and pilots searched in the special inspections were carrying fruit.

Project officials, meanwhile, said a decision would be made Thursday on whether to double the number of helicopter spray missions over the Santa Clara Valley.