‘Chemical Spill’ Diverts American Airlines Flight, Lands At Dublin Airport

An on board “chemical spill” caused a flight from London to Philadelphia to be diverted, while two of the airline’s cabin crew members lose consciousness after inhaling the fumes Monday.

American Airlines Flight AA729 from Heathrow, London, had to make an emergency landing at Dublin Airport after a cleaning agent was found in one of the plane’s toilets.

The Sun, who had gathered their information through Air Traffic Control audio, said that the “Callington cleaning product,” which was used prior to departure, had been left open. The chemical, it added, was spilled and seeped into the plane’s carpet and released an acrid odor that left those on board with “ill effects.”

As a result, two of the airline’s cabin crew and several passengers complained of “burning eyes” and itchiness on their skin.

The crew and five passengers were taken to the hospital after the plane landed, The Sun said.

BBC meanwhile echoed several Twitter posts from the passengers, although most pointed to the negative effects that the spill has brought to the flight. Katie Phillips, one of the commuters from the flight, posted about the incident and said that it “has led to sickness outbreak and an emergency landing.”

She described the scent to be “slightly sweeter than fuel.”

Phillips said prior to landing at Dublin, their flight had been delayed for nearly an hour at Heathrow when crew members noticed the “strange smell.”

Some of the passengers started to feel unwell shortly after take-off and Phillips even saw one of the flight crew to be ill.

“I could see her. She was surrounded by other staff members,” Phillips told CNN.

She added that she didn’t feel any ill-effects caused by the chemical spill.

Another passenger twitted a complained and said he and other travelers were left stranded and “standing around” Dublin Airport.

“As per standard operating procedures there was a full turn-out of Dublin Airport’s emergency fire services,” said the airport’s representative, explaining the flight’s diversion was due to a “medical emergency.”

An American Airlines spokesman said that flight AA729 landed safely at Dublin Airport at 1:15 p.m. Medical personnel immediately met the aircraft and addressed the concerns of its passenger and crew.

BBC reported that a separate flight also made an emergency landing at Dublin after a passenger felt ill.

Flight 787 bound to Charlotte from Paris was diverted to the airport Monday. The sick passenger was taken to a hospital for treatment.