Strange 'Smelly Socks' Odor Leads to Spirit Diversion, Aircraft Met by Hazmat Team
A Spirit Airlines flight was diverted and met by a hazmat team on Thursday night after a strange odor developed in one section of the plane.
Spirit Flight 779, traveling from New York (LGA) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), was diverted to Myrtle Beach (MYR) after an odor, described by passengers as being reminiscent of "dirty socks," developed in a section of the aircraft. Upon landing at MYR around 10:00pm ET, the A321 was met by rescue and hazmat teams. The hazmat team examined the aircraft but found no hazardous substances.
"The source of the odor is being investigated, and a supplemental aircraft was sent to Myrtle Beach to pick up our guests," a Spirit spokesperson said in an email. "We apologize for the inconvenience this diversion has caused."
According to WBTW, 220 passengers were on board, seven to 10 of whom complained of medical issues and were taken to a nearby hospital. Spirit said that flyers who were checked by medical professionals have since been cleared to continue their journey as of Friday morning.
The aircraft operating the flight, N675NK, is just more than one year old, having been delivered to Spirit in May 2017. According to FlightAware, N675NK was expected to depart MYR for FLL at approximately 9:30am ET on Friday.
