JetBlue passengers flying to New York City arrived at the airport soaked after condensation from air vents fell on them for hours.
In a TikTok video, which has now gone viral, Savannah Gowarty shows that fog appears to fill the cabin. In her caption, she quoted the pilot as saying, “It seems to be raining in the cockpit.”
“What is this?” Gowarty says in the video, he shows how his and his traveling companions' faces were dripping with water. “Four hour flight. So cold.”
As he soaked himself, he showed how he had begun to dry his overshirt on the armrest, without success.
The video has been viewed 5.8 million times and received 480,000 likes on the platform, and people in the comments section were shocked by what happened.
“I would sue for damages omg,” one person wrote, while another added: “Of course not!!! I would request compensation!!
“I hate being wet and cold,” a third commented. “I'd be in total meltdown mode.”
Others joked that the situation reminded them of the produce aisle at the supermarket or the Rainforest Cafe.
“Welcome to Rainforest Cafe Airlines,” one user joked.
“Like a cucumber in the produce aisle,” someone else joked.
The Le Roche Posay TikTok account took the opportunity to add that misting can be healthy for the skin.
“4 hour flight plus free misty refreshment for damp skin,” they wrote, to which Gowarty responded, “That's one way to look at it!”
What happened on Gowarty's flight is a fairly common experience, according to the US Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program. Fog is produced when humid air comes into contact with water that condenses in air handling units and cooling coils.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University meteorology professor Christopher Hennon explained toFox This usually happens if the plane has been stopped at the gate for some time without the engines running.
Sometimes, when the engines are turned on, as well as the air conditioning unit, the air near the vents cools quickly and becomes “saturated”, turning into a dense fog.
“This is quite common. I have been on several flights where I observed this,” she explained. “Condensation dissipates fairly quickly as the air inside the cabin becomes progressively drier.”
This is said to occur with aircraft flying from wetter locations and one commenter noted that it is a fairly common experience for them. “I live in the south and have flown several times, including 12 in the last 6 months. It happens often,” they said.
