While the plane was at an altitude of over 2,100 m, the cabin was filled with an unpleasant fruity smell. The crew tried everything to reduce the smell but failed. Therefore, the pilot was forced to declare Pan Pan - a level 2 emergency (serious but not life-threatening). In fact, no one on board was injured by the above situation.
The smell came from a shipment of durians, which have been described by people unfamiliar with the smell as resembling rotten onions, turpentine, and even urine, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The fruit was removed from the plane after landing.
This is not the first time the smell of durian has caused trouble. In 2018, passengers on a flight in Bengkulu (Indonesia) asked the crew to leave durian before departure because the plane was carrying about 2 tons of this fruit.
Passengers were not satisfied with the crew's explanation that the smell would dissipate after take-off. One man began chanting in protest, and others said they did not want to fly. According to the BBC, some passengers were so angry that they almost fought with the crew. Eventually, the airline agreed to leave the durians behind.
A notice board prohibiting the carrying of durian and the penalty for violation is placed in the hotel.
Also earlier this year, a library in Australia was evacuated due to a suspected gas leak. About 500 students and teachers were evacuated from the RMIT University campus on Latrobe Street, Melbourne. After an extensive search, firefighters determined the strange smell was not chemical gas, but a cupboard containing rotting durian.
Durian is a popular fruit in Southeast Asia and is world-famous for its extremely unpleasant smell. The fruit is banned in public places and hotels in some Asian countries.
