Severe Diarrhea Incident Forces Flight Cancellation After Passenger Falls Ill Mid-Air

Meghan Reinertsen ended up in a horror situation on a United Airlines plane

A United Airlines flight was cancelled after a passenger suffered a severe bout of diarrhea mid-flight, prompting a hazmat team to board the aircraft for deep cleaning. The incident involved Meghan Reinertsen, a US-based writer and actress working as a live-in nanny, who fell seriously ill while returning from Portugal to the United States.

Reinertsen, who shared her ordeal with over 20 million TikTok viewers, said she began feeling unwell shortly after leaving Portugal. Although she hoped the symptoms would pass, she barely made it through customs at Newark Airport before boarding her connecting flight. Midway through the journey, her condition worsened, forcing her to rush to the lavatory despite the seatbelt sign being on.

Meghan apologised for the inconvenience caused

“For the next 20 minutes, I had more diarrhea than any human should have in their life,” she recalled. “I was full-body sweating, crying, and my insides were cramping.” Her illness escalated to vomiting, and a flight attendant provided her with a sick bag while assisting her.

The extent of the mess caused meant the aircraft could not be used for its next scheduled departure. Reinertsen was wheelchaired off the plane, and specialists in hazmat suits were called to disinfect the cabin. “They cancelled that flight because of me,” she admitted, explaining that officials feared she might have brought back an infectious disease from Portugal.

Reinertsen believes the incident was caused by an undercooked burger she ate the night before her return flight. Offering a public apology, she said, “If that flight cancellation changed the trajectory of your life in a really negative way, I’m so sorry.”

A flight had to be cancelled to clear up the mess