Delta Air Lines passengers on a flight between Miami and Minneapolis had their travel plans interrupted when an unusual odor was detected onboard. This saw the Boeing 737-900ER diverted to Atlanta, where the aircraft was inspected, and passengers were rebooked onto an alternative flight.
The service, operating on Tuesday, December 30, had 111 customers onboard and was being serviced by six crew (two pilots and four cabin crew). Delta Air Lines confirmed to Simple Flying that it was the flight attendants who detected the odor, and following standard procedure, the pilots donned oxygen masks in the flight deck until the plane reached Atlanta. Passenger oxygen masks were not deployed.
Delta Air Lines Flight 2150
SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines was operating its daily service between 
Miami International Airport (MIA) and 
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) as DL2150 on Tuesday, December 30, and had expected to depart from Miami at 6:25 am. Data from Flightradar24 identifies that the aircraft had quite a delay in leaving the Sunshine State, only pushing back at 1:26 pm.
Taking off from Miami in a westerly direction, the aircraft climbed to it’s cruising altitude of 35,000 relatively quickly, however after around one hour and 13 minutes into the usual three hour and 40 minute trip between Miami and Minneapolis, the crew had detected a strange odor, which prompted the captain out of an abundance of caution to divert to Atlanta, where the aircraft could be inspected in more detail by ground crew.
Simple Flying reached out to Delta Air Lines, which promptly responded and provided this statement in relation to the diverted flight:
“Delta’s flight crew followed their extensive training to safely divert to Atlanta after an odor was detected onboard. We apologize to our customers for the experience and the delay in their travels.”
Prompt Diversion To Atlanta
Once the aircraft arrived in Atlanta, Delta ground crew members worked quickly to reaccommodate passengers onto a replacement flight. Flightradar24 identifies this as another Boeing 737-900ER bearing registration N827DN (serial number 31938). This flight eventually departed from Atlanta at 5:17 pm, and had the 111 passengers on the ground at Minneapolis by 6:45 pm, some nine hours and 25 minutes later than their initial expected arrival time of 9:20 am.
The aircraft that was at the centre of the diversion was N801DZ (serial number 31912) and is a 12-year-old plane that has been operating for Delta Air Lines since being delivered brand new in September 2013. Further aircraft specifics below as per data from ch-aviation:
|
Aircraft Type |
Boeing 737-932ER |
|---|---|
|
Registration |
N801DZ |
|
Serial Number |
31912 |
|
Hex Code |
AAE5F7 |
|
Configuration |
20 Delta First, 27 Delta Comfort (economy +), 133 Delta Main (economy) |
N801DZ remained on the apron at Atlanta overnight while the aircraft was inspected by the ground crew and then deemed fit to fly again. It returned to scheduled services on Wednesday, December 31, operating as DL8802 from Atlanta to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. It has remained in regular operation for the rest of the day without any major disruption.
25-Year-Old Delta Boeing 717 Returns To Saint Louis Following Acidic Smell In Cabin
The same aircraft diverted again yesterday, just days after reentering service.
Why Did The Captain Divert Due To An Odor?
When those onboard an aircraft detect a strange smell or odor, the usual practice is for the captain to divert out of an abundance of caution, as it can be a signal for more serious issues, such as fume events (which are oil or hydraulic fluid leaks into the pressurized cabin air). This can indicate more sinister issues, such as engine or system damage.
In some cases, it can be from less critical sources, which include pollen or spoiled food, safety protocols require the aircraft to be grounded, and then allow an immediate investigation to rule out any further hazards.
Additionally, foul odours on board can cause discomfort for both crew and passengers; it could lead to dizziness, nausea, or, in some extreme cases, permanent injury or hospitalization. The captain undertook to take the appropriate action to divert the aircraft to the closest Delta base, where it could allow the airplane to be assessed in more detail.
