Unusual Odor Forces Southwest Plane to Make an Emergency Landing

A Southwest Airlines plane made an emergency landing at Las Vegas on Thursday after an “unusual odor” was reported inside the cabin.

The Boeing 737 was flying from Las Vegas to Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 12, 2023, when the pilot decided to turn around after crew members were concerned about an “unusual odor.” A passenger described the unusual odor as a “burning smell.” However, Southwest Airlines didn’t find anything unusual during its inspection.

The plane safely landed at approximately 8:30 PM at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) on Thursday according to the FAA.

The airline told FOX Business “We didn’t find anything abnormal after inspection, aircraft was swapped and continued on to its destination.”

Just an Unusual Odor

As the Southwest plane landed, multiple trucks already responded to the scene. A video from inside the plane was posted on social media. The footage showed emergency vehicles with their lights flashing.

Based on the investigation of the airline, a Southwest spokesperson said, “It was not smoke to my knowledge. It was just an unusual odor. Routine for emergency vehicles to meet the aircraft in situations like that.”

Radio talk show host and heavy metal historian Eddie Trunk wrote on X formerly Twitter, “I fly constantly but this was a 1st. Vegas to Tulsa Thrs night on @SouthwestAir. Half hour into flight plane turns around & goes back to Vegas because of burning smell in the cabin. Immediately deplane & surrounded by fire trucks. Crazy but SW handled well.”

Southwest replied to Trunk’s tweet on Saturday and said, “Thanks for sharing this with us, Eddie. Please know that the Safety of our Customers and Crew Members is our number one priority, and we appreciate you hanging in there with us.”

The FAA confirmed that there were no injuries. The agency is also currently conducting an investigation on the incident.