The Miami Fire and Rescue Department confirmed that it had dispatched units to the scene. Some crew members had to be taken to the hospital because they became ill.
An American Airlines spokesman said the Boeing 737 was carrying 172 passengers and six crew members. The airline said the flight was canceled due to “a chemical smell in the cabin caused by the contents of hand luggage.”
“The plane landed safely and without incident, passengers disembarked as normal, — says in the statement. Some crew members were taken to a local hospital “as a precaution.”
In October 2019, the same American Airlines flight from London Heathrow to Philadelphia was forced to land at Shannon in Ireland after the crew reported a chemical smell on board so strong that two flight attendants passed out. They were quickly revived by other flight attendants, but along with several passengers, they complained of eye irritation and coughing.
The airline reported at the time that the cleaning team had accidentally left a bottle of industrial-strength detergent in the toilet, it had tipped over during takeoff and soaked the carpets. The cleaning solution was CH2200D. Its main ingredient is ammonium chloride, which can cause symptoms such as skin and respiratory irritation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not keep records of smoke, odor, etc., but for 12 months from January to December 2019, American Airlines alone reported a total of 1,644 such cases
In January, two Alaska Airlines flight attendants in the United States were sent to the hospital after they became ill due to severe chemical smell on a flight from Seattle to San Jose.