Frantic Search for 'Strange Odor' on American Airlines' Plane Delays Flight

A flight between Fort Myers and Dallas was delayed earlier this week for a very unusual reason.

American Airlines flight 2736 from Southwest Florida International Airport to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was delayed by two hours and 10 minutes on August 28 when an unusual smell was detected in the luggage hold.

With passengers already on board the aircraft, take off was halted while ground staff investigated. A passenger on board, who wished to remain anonymous, told Newsweek: "The pilot came across and said that we were going to have to stop because of a strong smell of propane in the cargo hold. He said it was a can of camping fuel.

"They made several requests for anyone who may have had something in their bag that was similar so that they knew what bag they were looking for and it would make the process quicker."

Due to depart at 7:48 p.m., flight records show that the American Airlines flight didn't leave until 9:58 p.m.

American Airlines told Newsweek: "The customer operations crew for American Airlines Flight 2736 with service between Fort Myers (RSW) and Dallas/Fort Worth reported a possible odor in the cargo hold prior to departure. As standard procedure and out of an abundance of caution, the team requested a secondary inspection and the aircraft was cleared for departure as there was no safety risk."

However, the mystery remained, and even after arriving safely at their destination, the passenger told Newsweek they were not told the cause of the long delay.

"We already had a weather delay, then this happened as we finished boarding. We stayed on the plane the whole time, but had to wait until the luggage and fumes were dealt with before we could push back," they explained. "They had to empty the luggage compartment until they found the bag with the leak. The fire department had to ventilate the luggage compartment, and then all the bags were loaded back on."

The incident was attended by Southwest Florida International Airport's Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting team and an official report was logged.

Coming From the Belly of the Plane

In the report seen by Newsweek, the reason for the delay and unusual smell was revealed to be not a propane tank, but rotting vegetables.

The report read: "St. 92 was dispatched to D1 for a smell of propane coming from the belly of the plane. Upon arrival E92 crews made contact with flight crew to confirm a strange odor of propane coming from the belly of the plane."

"Airlines decided to unload all of the baggage to find the source. A suitcase was found with Rotting Vegetables and was declared the culprit," the report continued. "E92 provided a fan that was used by airlines personnel to eject the smell from belly of plane."

While the rotting food was an unusual find among passengers' luggage, it is understandable that baggage handlers were cautious.

Rotting vegetables and other organic matter can cause smells reminiscent of propane or other gas odors. The breakdown of organic materials can result in the release of various gases, including methane and hydrogen sulfide.

Ground crew and baggage handlers proceeded with caution at the smell because a can of propane gas in an airplane could pose a significant risk to the flight.

Highly flammable, even a small leak could lead to a buildup of gas in an enclosed space like a luggage compartment. A spark or heat source could then lead to fire or explosion.

Propane gas is also usually stored in pressurized containers and changes in temperature and altitude during a flight could also prompt a leak.

Airlines typically ban the carrying of flammable gases like propane in both checked luggage and carry-on baggage for the safety of the aircraft and all passengers.