Bags Damaged By Formaldehyde Leak In Cargo Hold

Of all the things you think might happen to your luggage in the cargo hold of an airplane, being soaked with formaldehyde and fish is probably not high on your list of concerns.

But that's exactly what happened in the cargo hold of an Alaska Airlines flight from Barrow to Fairbanks on Friday.

Alaska News reports that a passenger checked two closed buckets filled with "fish and formaldehyde" on the flight, but did not notify the airline that he was transporting hazardous materials. It is not clear whether the unnamed passenger knew that the chemical was dangerous.

During the flight, at least one of the buckets leaked. When the plane arrived at Fairbanks, the ground crew noticed a "strong smell" when they opened the cargo hold.

It is not known exactly how much of the formaldehyde got out of the bucket, but Alaska Airlines held over 100 pieces of baggage to be tested for contamination. By Sunday, a private company that specializes in chemical spills had tested and cleared 107 of the 118 pieces of baggage that had been on the flight.

The airline had contacted each of the passengers to were affected by the incident to "discuss compensation," according to the report.

FMI: www.alaskaair.com