Crappy Flight: Delta Airlines Makes Emergency Landing Due To Passenger's Explosive Diarrhea

A Delta flight from Atlanta to Barcelona had to make an emergency landing due to a passenger experiencing severe diarrhea, leading to a "biohazard issue" on the plane.

The Airbus A350 returned to Atlanta two hours into its trans-Atlantic flight. After thorough cleaning, passengers were transferred to another flight, reaching Barcelona eight hours later than scheduled.

Delta reportedly acknowledged a "medical issue" and apologized to passengers. Social media reactions varied from sympathy for the affected passenger to humor about the situation.

Keep on reading to learn more.

A Delta flight heading from Atlanta to Barcelona had to make an emergency landing when a passenger experienced severe diarrhea that affected the entire plane. The plane, an Airbus A350, was two hours into its trans-Atlantic journey from Georgia to Spain when the pilot requested to return due to the issue.

In the communication recorded from LiveATC.com and shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), the pilot was heard saying, "This is a biohazard issue. We've had a passenger who's had diarrhea all the way through the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta."

According to the New York Post, after landing back in Atlanta, the passengers and crew of the Airbus A350 were transferred to Flight DL194. Eventually, they reached Barcelona, albeit eight hours later than scheduled. It's unclear whether the problematic passenger, whose identity remains unknown, was still on board when the plane landed in Spain.

An alleged Federal Aviation Authority flight strip, shared on Reddit, appeared to confirm the plane's situation, labeling it a "biohazard" due to passenger diarrhea. The picture surfaced on the ATC subreddit, displaying flight-progress strips linked to the incident, stating that the flight was diverted to Atlanta due to "passenger diarrhea all over a/c."

After landing in Atlanta, cleaning crews were able to thoroughly clean the aircraft, as flight records indicate it was subsequently used for another flight. Additionally, Delta officials acknowledged a "medical issue" that led to the plane being redirected to Atlanta for cleaning, but they didn't provide further details.

A Delta spokesperson apologized for the travel disruption, stating, per Insider, "Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans."

Following the news surfacing on social media, users on X shared their thoughts and experiences regarding the incident.

One user provided more context, stating, "My partner was on that flight! It was pretty bad. It was dribbled down the aisle and 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 2:30 a.m."

Another user shared, "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."

There were expressions of concern for the affected passenger, with one comment reading, "So sad for that passenger. Could have had some sort of IBS," and another added, "How horrible! Was the person OK? They must have been so sick and then so mortified."

Some users injected humor into the situation with comments like, "Some people think it's funny, but it's really brown and runny…" and another stating, "I've seen some sh*t but nothing like this."

Just three days before the emergency landing incident, a Delta Air Lines flight encountered severe turbulence, resulting in eleven individuals being hospitalized.

According to a Delta spokesperson speaking to Insider, Delta Air Lines flight 175, en route from Milan to Atlanta on Tuesday, faced "severe turbulence" before safely landing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

On board were 151 passengers, along with 10 flight attendants and four pilots. The injuries included both passengers and crew members, with a total of 11 individuals requiring hospitalization, including "12 people with serious head injuries. Several flight attendants, too."