Delta flight forced to turn back after maggots fall on passengers from overhead compartment

A Delta flight was recently forced to turn around an hour after take-off when maggots fell from the overhead compartment onto passengers sitting in the economy seats.

The flight on Tuesday 13 February was transporting travellers from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, when a passenger’s suitcase containing rotting fish was in the overhead bin and opened up resulting in maggots falling onto passengers and the plane turning around.

After the plane landed all passengers were instructed to de-board the aircraft and the suitcase containing the fish was placed in a bag to be destroyed. The plane itself was also deeply cleaned.

One person, named Kelce, ended up taking to X/Twitter, to comment on their experience being a passenger on the flight, writing, “really lovely to be 2 hours into an 8 hour @Delta to amsterdam and find out there is rotten fish and maggots hitching a ride with us.”

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Kelce revealed that Delta staff had identified the owner of the rotting suitcase and detained them on the plane after the rest of the travellers left the aircraft.

As compensation, travellers were given 8,000 air miles, hotel room compensation, and a $30 meal ticket if they were delayed overnight, Kelce added.

Other passengers on the flight took to Reddit writing about their own situation being on the flight in the r/Delta subreddit.

“So I was on this unfortunate flight lol,” one comment began. “My family and I were in the row directly in front of the maggots. The lady right behind us told the flight attendants the maggots were falling on her head. Ugh. I turned around and they were wiggling around on the seat. They moved us further in front though.”

“One of our carry-on bags was right near the disgusting one so at the end of the flight when I went to get it after checking it over thoroughly, the passenger in question was still sitting there and didn’t exit the plane. So assuming some kind of consequences but unclear what. Also apparently it was wrapped in newspaper. Absolutely gross.”

The Reddit post concluded that five of their suitcases didn’t make it to their destination because of the mishap.

In a statement to The Independent regarding the maggot incident, Delta said: “We apologise to the customers of Flight 133 AMS-DTW as their trip was interrupted due to an improperly packed carry-on bag. The aircraft returned to the gate and passengers were placed on the next available flight. The aircraft was removed from service for cleaning.”

This isn’t the first time Delta has garnered attention. Last week, the airline almost kicked a woman off of one of their flights because she wasn’t wearing a bra.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Lisa Archbold detailed her upsetting interaction with an airline crew member before her flight from Salt Lake City to San Francisco. On 22 January, the self-employed DJ was leaving Utah’s Sundance Film Festival and heading back home to the Bay Area. Minutes before her flight was scheduled to take off, once “every single person” was in their seat, Archbold was “loudly” called to the front of the aircraft.

According to Archbold, the female crew member ushered her off the plane to reprimand her for her outfit. She told her that what Archbold was wearing was “offensive attire” and “revealing”.