Smelliest Plane You've Ever Flown On

RussianJet · Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:54 am

Ok, I've read threads about the biggest plane you've ever flown on, the smallest plane you've ever flown on, the plane you've flown most on, etc. etc. etc.

So, just for variety, and frankly just to be a bit silly, what's the smelliest plane you've ever had the misfortune to fly on and why? Mine would be an S7 TU-154 in 2002. It didn't exactly stink, but it did hum a bit, and to be honest I can't even really say what it smelled of. I guess the best way to describe it would be a very musty kind of old smell.

Folks, recount your stories of hideous odours!

ag92 · Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:43 am

There was a time when we would have 30 topics on livery's

Anyway I can't say if I have ever been on a smelly plane. I guess mine would have to be the Airbus 380 (a good smell)

dispatchguy · Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:06 pm

N727CK

The aircraft, a B727 at Kalitta, was a specific aircraft for horse charters, and had a specific "odor" Wink

The odor of horse crap permeated everywhere.

NG1Fan · Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:10 pm

Samara Airlines TU-154. Stuck in Seat 31A right at the back. Cursed the check-in people. And then IT happened: Whatever dodgy food I had with my client at dinner in Samara the previous evening, the eight beers I had didn't kill the bacteria. While smelly, I was definitely grateful for being this close to the toilet.

Another one: IL-86 Domodedovo Airlines in Aug 98. Last 3rd of the cabin smelt like a public toilet at an old football stadium immediately after the game. Luckily, it was free seating and i quickly headed to Row 10 (no window!!).

NG1Fan

MHG · Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:19 pm

My "worst odour" experience so far was this year in may on a Firefly Fokker 50 from Phuket to Penang.
When i entered the a/c i was getting close to use the barf bag immediately ...
Nevertheless i flew the same a/c 2 days later another 2 times (Penang-Kota Bharu vv.) and the smell was still there but much less strong - so, i survived ...

atrude777 · Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:41 pm

N613SW

Flying it JAX-PHL-BNA-MSY-HOU

I was PRAYING they would do an aircraft swap at any of the stops but nope. It was the bathroom stench or something that was really stinking up the back galley of the aircraft.

Alex

PlymSpotter · Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:18 pm

The worst smell I've come across was onboard a BMI baby 737-500 a couple of years ago when flying BHX-BFS. Cabin absolutely stank which was disgusting and it rather put me off flying them. Still, I will give them another go in a few weeks time.

Dan Smile

OA260 · Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:21 pm

I must be lucky as I have never been on a stinky plane. Ihave been on shabby old ones but even those were not smelly.

RussianJet · Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:37 pm

Quoting MHG (Reply 4):
My "worst odour" experience so far was this year in may on a Firefly Fokker 50 from Phuket to Penang.
When i entered the a/c i was getting close to use the barf bag immediately ...
Nevertheless i flew the same a/c 2 days later another 2 times (Penang-Kota Bharu vv.) and the smell was still there but much less strong - so, i survived ...

What was the smell??

Quoting PlymSpotter (Reply 6):
The worst smell I've come across was onboard a BMI baby 737-500 a couple of years ago when flying BHX-BFS. Cabin absolutely stank which was disgusting and it rather put me off flying them. Still, I will give them another go in a few weeks time.

Again, what was it?

[Edited 2008-01-08 14:01:19]

D328 · Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:52 pm

As a Pax. US 733.
Working as a ramp agent would be a tie between a Saab 340(lav in the back) and ERJ145. Both smelled horrible from the lav's. I hope it wasn't as bad for the pax in the cabin.

PlymSpotter · Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:56 pm

Quoting RussianJet (Reply 8):
Again, what was it?

Stale sick. I figured pointing out that it smelt was enough, rather than being too graphic with the problem faint

RussianJet · Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:03 pm

Quoting PlymSpotter (Reply 10):
I figured pointing out that it smelt was enough, rather than being too graphic with the problem faint

Oh my, no! My intention is to drum up some pretty bizarre reasons for hideous odours being encountered on aircraft! Smile

I suppose sick and toilets are going to be the most frequent though.

wilco737 · Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:27 pm

Iran Asaman Airlines B727-200 Big grin

Pretty worn out and the smell was weird Wink

WILCO737(MD11F)
airplane

YYZflyer · Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:10 pm

Mine was on an AA 737-800 flying MIA-YYZ. They man right behind me through up in the barf bag. Good thing he got it in there. relieved

The plane smelled for a while, but then it eventually went away. The F/As suspected he had been drinking on an empty stomach.

airplane

wilco737 · Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:30 pm

Quoting YYZflyer (Reply 13):
They man right behind me through up in the barf bag. Good thing he got it in there.

How many did he use of them?! Did it all fit in there Big grin

Pretty disgusting indeed

WILCO737 (MD11F)
airplane

cragley · Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:12 am

Mine was on a NW DC9 from Memphis to Gulfport.

I was in the last row and the toilet was 'out of service'. The plane had flown from Memphis to Austin then back to Memphis and soon as the plane left the runway an incredible stench covered the back 3 rows. Passengers were handing perfume and deodarant to each other in the hope the smell would go. When someone called the FA she said 'what smell'.

I was gagging.

wilco737 · Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:14 am

Quoting Cragley (Reply 15):
When someone called the FA she said 'what smell'.

Looks like the F/As at NW are used to that smell Big grin

Just kidding...

WILCO737 (MD11F)
airplane

P.S.: how do you recognize an F/A at a party? ............................. She takes her food standing next to the toilette Big grin

RussianJet · Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:34 am

Quoting Cragley (Reply 15):
Mine was on a NW DC9 from Memphis to Gulfport.

I'm disappointed to hear that an NW DC9 was your smelliest aircraft! I love those planes. Smile

Having said that, I love the TU-154 more, and that's featured here already more than once.

Joelatbsl · Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:43 am

Must have been in the cargo hold of that one:

View Large View Medium
Click here for bigger photo!

Photo © Joel Vogt

But then again, it was no bad experience... Smile

Cheers

JOEL

Skydrol · Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:06 am

As PlymSpotter already mentioned - stale vomit smell in a few Canadian Regional Dash 8s. Especially noticeable when boarding the aircraft on a hot day. Kind of like the smell inside an old ferry.

Worst smell ever in an airplane for me would be on a red eye flight in Airbus 320, a kid 8 or 9 years old seated somewhere between the bulkhead row and overwing exit row came walking down the aisle with his hands over his mouth trying to stop a geyser. Even though the cabin lights were very dim, from the aisle seat I was in, close to the rear, I could see he left a puke trail in the aisle at least 10 rows long. As if that wasn't enough, he then puked all over the outside of the starboard lav door and carpet in front. That got the attention of one of the F/As who had been chatting in the aft galley. She jumped up, opened the door and told the kid 'in the toilet'. I guess he didn't listen (or care), because about ten minutes later there was another commotion, and the kid was now walking back towards his seat and the F/As locked and tagged the lav INOP. They had gloves on and were in the process of cleaning the outside of the lav door and I walked back and asked them if they had noticed the aisle carpet. I'll never forget the comment from one F/A: "Jesus Christ!" Now they were pouring coffee grinds the length of the aisle! Then they found the kids dad (who had been asleep), and gave him an earful. What a flight!

And because I often suffer motion sickness, I have thrown up on flights several times, but it must be like bad breath or B.O., you are never bothered by your own!

LD4

kmh1956 · Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:56 pm

Never really had a stinky plane.....no vomit aromas anyway, but I recall one flight from Boston many years ago when the FAs were preparing the breakfast for first class (we'd been bumped up) and burned the milk for the coffee.....not too bad, but not pleasant either. Then about two years ago, taking mu daughter back to school we had a girl in her late teens in the row in front of us. I swear she'd had a vindaloo and several pints of Boddington's the night before because for the entire hour and three-quarters, she farted....silent but soooo deadly. I nearly asked for the oxygen masks to be dropped.....

co777er · Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:00 pm

An Air France flight between LAX and CDG. It wasn't the plane; rather, the two people sitting next to me. vomit

DLPMMM · Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:21 am

A CZ plane (DC-9/MD-80 variant) dressed in a China Northern livery.

The aircraft smelled like well used horse stable.

JetBlueAUS · Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:16 am

Most Southwest Airlines aircraft's odor reminds me of Greyhound Buses.

RussianJet · Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:21 pm

Quoting JetBlueAUS (Reply 24):
Most Southwest Airlines aircraft's odor reminds me of Greyhound Buses.

And what is that odour like and why?

AS777 · Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:13 pm

My smelliest flight was a UA 747 from ORD-SFO back in '97. It wasn't the aircraft so much as the 500lb guy sitting next to me.

His B.O. was so bad, not to mention I couldn't even move my arms, because his rolls were hangin over and touching me.

BLAH!

ACDC8 · Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:40 pm

The stinkiest plane I was ever on would have been an EW ATR42 from AMS-DUS, the father and son in front of me had apparently never heard of deodorant.

Other than that, I've always found that BAe 146's have had a special scent to them. Not a bad one, just a unique one that I've never smelt on another aircraft.

AF340 · Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:44 pm

My smelliest flight was probably a Canada 3000 B757. The galley just reeked of Shepard's pie. Really was too appetizing!

Liam spin

RussianJet · Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:33 pm

Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 27):
I've always found that BAe 146's have had a special scent to them

I've always found them to smell particularly oily.

flyboyseven · Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:07 am

A SGS 2-33A just after someone had puked. That was sick. It is a 2 person glider if you dont know, and it is used by Royal Canadian Air Cadets. I have a glider licence and fly them every weekend in the spring summer and fall.

CanadianNorth · Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:41 am

Jumpseat of an HS748 flying Whitehorse-Dawson. Shortly before departure, a dog was loaded in the forward cargo area, just behind the cockpit door. I don't know what that dog had for supper the night before, but damn did it make a stink and a half as we took off!

CanadianNorth

ACDC8 · Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:24 am

Quoting RussianJet (Reply 29):
Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 27):
I've always found that BAe 146's have had a special scent to them

I've always found them to smell particularly oily.

I think that's what it is, particularly during engine start up.

mal787 · Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:08 pm

A 146 opertated by National Jet between Adelaide & Moomba( a gas field in NW South Australia) by day it done the Adelaide Moomba runs. Overnight it was a freighter, one morning we got on and for the next 90 minutes all we could smell was seafood & it stank to say the least one of the very rare flights that we did not eat breakfast

staralliance38 · Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:54 pm

A Delta plane. One of the F/As really smelled bad.

That's all I'm gonna say....

skywatch · Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:26 pm

Never been on a smelly plane. I have been on some rickety old planes, but I have been fortunate enough to stay off of the stinky ones.

Quoting Skydrol (Reply 19):
Worst smell ever in an airplane for me would be on a red eye flight in Airbus 320, a kid 8 or 9 years old seated somewhere between the bulkhead row and overwing exit row came walking down the aisle with his hands over his mouth trying to stop a geyser. Even though the cabin lights were very dim, from the aisle seat I was in, close to the rear, I could see he left a puke trail in the aisle at least 10 rows long. As if that wasn't enough, he then puked all over the outside of the starboard lav door and carpet in front.

As an emitophobic, I probably would have contributed to the carpet stains if I saw that.

---Skywatch

DavecFlyer · Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:06 pm

I took a flight on an Iberia MD88 last October and there was an incredibly musty smell.

I also flew on a Piper Navajo that had just been refuelled which resulted in a great smell...

MEA-707 · Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:46 pm

An Il-86 of Aeroflot on the looong and packed ride Moscow-Baku-Delhi-Bangkok in 1996, indeed a sort of puke/urine smell which unfortunately I kept aware of even after a while.
Many Russian planes are mentioned already in this thread, maybe either they clean their plane less or the seat cussions absorb some body fluids more and get replaced less often.

BAViscount · Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:10 pm

I think the smelliest planes I ever flew on were Air UK's HP Heralds that we used to catch every August when heading down to GCI from LHR back in the early 80's. Those things were as old as dust...and certainly smelt their age! It wasn't an unpleasant smell, just the smell of many many years of service...old and musty. Even the clothes in our suitcases which, prior to the flight smelt rather nicely of Comfort, had acquired that odour by the time we reached our hotel in Guernsey!

Unfortunately I was sh*t scared of flying on those planes, and as soon as we climbed aboard and that smell hit my nose, all the memories of previous flights on them would come flooding back and I would be a nervous wreck until we reached our destination!

KPWM · Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:52 am

The smelliest plane I ever flown on was an AA 757 from BOS-MIA. My seat had some odd stench that smelled like old orange juice and eggs. Plus the bathroom was horrible.

NWASkyking · Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:35 pm

Airtran 717 ATL-MSP...I tried to fly NW but was full. Then tried DL...full. had to go with worthless airtran. the cabin smelled of spoiled milk....ughhh..

skywatch · Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:13 am

I think the smelliest plane I have been on was on an AA 777-200 flying DEL-ORD. Having been in curry-infused India for a few weeks, I guess I didn't notice, but the customs agents were definitely catching wind of some foul air after the 15+ hour flight. The guy doing a final check at the customs exit was waving his hand and making a sour face when we got to him (directly after some people from the flight had passed by). He said "Wow! How can you stand it?!" My dad told him "you get used to it after a few weeks!" I wonder what is was like being in the jetway when the doors first opened?

---Skywatch

Analog · Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:34 am

Quoting KPWM (Reply 39):
My seat had some odd stench that smelled like old orange juice and eggs. Plus the bathroom was horrible.

Perhaps the two were related?

AirScoot · Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:50 pm

3M flight from EYW-MCO after spring break in bad weather....

First there was the whole "I was too busy partying to shower" odor of the guy next to me...

Then there was the whole "Hey.. everyone want to see what I had for breakfast" odor of the guy two rows behind me..

Then there was the turbulence factor that blended the experience into a unique melange of GOD GET ME OFF THIS PLANE.

Did I mention half of the people onboard smelled like a whiskey factory?

SA006 · Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:17 pm

IST-DOH QR A320.

Think it was more of the uh , company I had on the plane all around me...

-SA006

babybus · Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:27 am

I remember flying Helsinki to London Gatwick via Stockholm once on a DC9 and the cabin reeked of fuel. Most of us sat there fanning ourselves to get fresh air for most of the flight.

777ER · Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:52 am

Smallest as a pax was a Saab340 with NZ.

RussianJet · Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:24 pm

Quoting 777ER (Reply 45):
Smallest as a pax was a Saab340 with NZ.

Thanks for that one. However, it's smelliest planes we want to hear about - not smallest. Smile

wilco737 · Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:26 pm

Quoting 777ER (Reply 45):
Smallest as a pax was a Saab340 with NZ.

Quoting RussianJet (Reply 46):
Thanks for that one. However, it's smelliest planes we want to hear about - not smallest. Smile

Nice missunderstanding here Wink

WILCO737 (MD11F)
airplane

ba757gla · Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:24 pm

has to be the dash 6 then the dash 8!!

mhodgson · Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:26 pm

Almost any of the PA-28/34's we flew in Arizona - the smell of sweat was horrific. And then you got the occasional person who would throw up in them...

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