Plane needed five-hour clean-up after diarrhoea horror left passengers disgusted

06 September 2023 , 11:31

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It took ground crews five hours to clean the plane (Image: Twitter/DramaAlert)

A plane forced to turn around just two hours after takeoff when a passenger suffered a horrific bout of diarrhoea while on board ended up undergoing an intensive five-hour cleanup operation which saw the carpet completely torn up and replaced.

The Delta flight was en route from Atlanta, Georgia, to Barcelona when it had to make the decision to turn around after a passenger suffered diarrhoea "all through the plane". An audio recording suggests flight crew claimed there was a "medical" issue on boat flight Delta 194.

Gross images from inside the cabin showed the mess in the middle of the aisle with dozens of passengers nearby abandoning their seats. Passengers said staff used a vanilla-scented disinfectant spray as they journeyed back to Atlanta, but one said it just made things worse.

Paper towels were put down in an attempt to disguise the excrement (Twitter/DramaAlert)

Flight crew attempted to cover the smell with vanilla-scented disinfectant (Twitter/DramaAlert)

Once they finally touched back down in Atlanta, ground crews went on a cleaning mission to disinfect the plane and clear the plane of any lingering odours. It took them around five hours, with crews going so far as to tear up and replace the carpet on board.

However, passengers said the plane was even cleaner after this than when they got on board. After a slightly smoother eight-hour flight, the plane landed in Barcelona at 5.10pm, around eight hours behind schedule.

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Delta Airlines passenger aircrafts (AFP via Getty Images)

An audio transmission from the flight deck was posted to X, formerly Twitter, by an aviation enthusiast. In it, the pilot can be heard saying: "This is a biohazard issue. We've had a passenger who's had diarrhoea all the way through the aeroplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta."

The incident garnered much attention on social media, with plenty of people reporting to either have been on the flight, or to have a friend or relative on board. John Hurdt was one such social media user.

Nearby passengers evacuated the area (Twitter/DramaAlert)

He wrote: "Both my wife and I were on the flight. It was a mess. The pilots made the right decision to turn around. The ground crew ripped out the carpet and put new in. Considering the circumstances, the ground crew did a great job, along [with] the attendants and the pilots."

Another user, Dee, commented about her partner's experience on the flight. She wrote: "My partner was on that flight! It was pretty bad. It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible.

"The vanilla scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s**t. After the plane landed, it was thoroughly cleaned. They didn't leave until around 2.30am."

Dee went on to say that their flight was "met by emergency vehicles and EMTs" when they landed who transported the sick passenger from the plane. Her partner agreed that the plane was "cleaner when they got back on at 2am that it was the first time they got on."

A spokesperson for the airline said: "Delta flight 194 from Atlanta to Barcelona returned to Atlanta following an onboard medical issue. Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clear the aeroplane and get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologise to our customers for the delay and inconvenience their travel plans."

Fiona Leishman