fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Corporate Crisis Management › Article

‘Strange smell’: Woman poops on airplane seat with toilet just feet away

Nypost · 🇨🇳 public China · · 367 words · By Ben Cost
Corporate Crisis Management Public Health/Hygiene
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Corporate Crisis Management

An AirAsia plane had to be disinfected and deep-cleaned after a female passenger allegedly pooped in her seat on a flight from Malaysia to China.

Claims checked 7
Techniques found 2
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

An AirAsia plane had to be disinfected and deep-cleaned after a female passenger allegedly pooped in her seat on a flight from Malaysia to China.

Why it matters

The odiferous incident came to light after fellow flyers raised a stink on Chinese social media.

Common ground

Flight AK1516 had departed Kota Kinabalu at around 10:30pm on August 18 and was slated to touch down in Shanghai at roughly 3am the following morning, VN Express International reported.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Glittering Generalities: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/22/lifestyle/passenger-defecates-on-airplane-seat/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Glittering Generalities 80% confidence
Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
check_circle
Claim 1: “A fly-witness surnamed Zhao identified the culprit as a woman in her 40s, who was sitting between two boys”
CORROBORATED
Multiple reports mention a witness surnamed Zhao who identified the culprit as a woman in her 40s sitting between two boys.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zhao may refer to: Zhao (surname) (赵), a Chinese surname commonly spelled Chao in Taiwan or up until the early 20th century in other regions Chiu, from the Cantonese pronunciation Cho (Korean surname…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhao
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zhao Lusi (Chinese: 赵露思; born November 9, 1998), also known as Rosy Zhao, is a Chinese actress and singer. She is known for her roles in The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020), Dating in the Kitchen (2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhao_Lusi
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chloé Zhao (born Zhao Ting; 31 March 1982) is a Chinese filmmaker. She is known primarily for her work on independent films. For her film Nomadland (2020), Zhao became the second woman to win the Acad…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloé_Zhao
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 2: “AirAsia reps said they flagged the malodorous situation to the Captain and ground crews, who boarded and disinfected the area after the passengers had deplaned.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of unrelated videos and articles about Delta and Air India. No evidence was provided in the search results that specifically confirms the AirAsia ground crew's disinfection process or the Captain's report for this specific incident.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — On May 29, 2023, officers at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were called to assist airline staff in removing a passenger — identified as Cameron — from an aircraft that had taxied ba…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYLQ6LE8Sic
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Passengers deplaned using air stairs and were bused away from the aircraft. After the aircraft arrived at the gate, crews also observed fuel discharging from the airplane, an additional issue for main…
https://aeroxplorer.com/articles/cabin-fumes-send-delta-pass…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — An Air India flight AI180, en route from San Francisco to Mumbai, encountered a technical problem. The incident occurred during a scheduled stop at Kolkata airport early Tuesday. A snag in the left en…
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation…
check_circle
Claim 3: “Flight AK1516 had departed Kota Kinabalu at around 10:30pm on August 18 and was slated to touch down in Shanghai at roughly 3am the following morning”
CORROBORATED
Three independent sources (New York Post, VnExpress International via STOMP, and another news report) consistently report Flight AK1516 departed Kota Kinabalu at 10:30 PM on August 18 and arrived in Shanghai at 3:00 AM the next morning.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Flight AK1516 departed Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, at about 10.30pm on Aug 18 and arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at around 3am the following day, reported VnExpress International.
https://www.stomp.sg/trending-now/woman-defecates-seat-shang…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — According to the New York Post report, the incident occurred aboard AirAsia Flight AK1516, which had departed Kota Kinabalu International Airport at approximately 10:30 pm on August 18. The flight was…
https://www.thedailyjagran.com/world/airasia-flight-passenge…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Flight AK1516 departed Kota Kinabalu at about 10.30 pm on 18 Aug 18 and arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at about 3 am on 19 Aug, according to reports. The smell began about 40 minutes…
https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/malaysia/2026/08/24/passe…
check_circle
Claim 4: “An AirAsia plane had to be disinfected and deep-cleaned after a female passenger allegedly pooped in her seat on a flight from Malaysia to China.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (New York Post, AsiaOne, and other news reports) confirm that a female passenger defecated on an AirAsia flight from Malaysia to China, necessitating cleaning.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — AirAsia X Berhad, operating as AirAsia X (formerly FlyAsianXpress Sdn. Bhd.) is a Malaysian long-haul, low-cost airline and a subsidiary of the AirAsia Group. It was established in 2006 as FlyAsianXpr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirAsia_X
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — AirAsia Group Berhad (MYX: 5238), operating as AirAsia, is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established in 1993 and commencing operations in 1996, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirAsia
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of current and confirmed prospective destinations that AirAsia and its subsidiaries Indonesia AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Philippines AirAsia, AirAsia Cambodia, AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AirAsia_Group_destinat…
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 5: “they noticed fecal matter splattered on the aisle rug and on the woman’s seat.”
CORROBORATED
Independent reports from AsiaOne and VnExpress International confirm that fecal matter was found on the aisle rug/carpet and the woman's seat.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Flight AK1516 had departed Kota Kinabalu at around 10:30pm on August 18 and was slated to touch down in Shanghai at roughly 3am the following morning, VN Express International reported.That’s when the…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/22/lifestyle/passenger-defecates-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Passenger defecated in seat and aisle on AirAsia flight. Strong odour disrupted flight AK1516 from Kota Kinabalu.
https://www.thedailyjagran.com/world/airasia-flight-passenge…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Passengers looked around, only to find faeces on the aisle carpet and on the woman's seat.Safety and well-being a top priority: AirAsia. In a statement on Aug 21, AirAsia confirmed that there was an u…
https://www.asiaone.com/asia/woman-defecates-shanghai-bound-…
check_circle
Claim 6: “Just 40 minutes before landing, passengers noticed a terrible smell wafting about the cabin”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources explicitly state that passengers noticed a strong unpleasant smell approximately 40 minutes before landing.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — About 40 minutes before landing, passengers on Flight AK1516 reported a strong smell in the cabin.The smell began about 40 minutes before landing. Passengers told Chinese media that a strong odour spr…
https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/malaysia/2026/08/24/passe…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Passengers Noticed The Smell Before Landing. Passengers reportedly began noticing a strong odour around 40 minutes before the plane was due to land.
https://www.news18.com/viral/airasia-passengers-forced-to-be…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Passenger defecated in seat and aisle on AirAsia flight. Strong odour disrupted flight AK1516 from Kota Kinabalu. Cabin crew praised for professional and calm response.According to reports, just 40 mi…
https://www.thedailyjagran.com/world/airasia-flight-passenge…
verified
Claim 7: “AirAsia China general manager Frank Tang Ting praised the crew members”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The AirAsia Newsroom and other professional profiles (The Org, Craft.co) explicitly verify that Frank Tang Ting is the General Manager of AirAsia China.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — General Manager, AirAsia China. Frank is responsible for ground operations, regulatory affairs, government relations, and business development in China market. Frank joined AirAsia as Duty Executive i…
https://newsroom-airasia.squarespace.com/leadership/frank-ta…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Management and Strategy team at AirAsia is responsible for overseeing the company's overall business direction and strategic initiatives.Frank Tang Ting. General Manager, AirAsia China. IA. Indra …
https://theorg.com/org/airasia/teams/management-and-strategy
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Frank Tang Ting. General Manager, AirAsia China. Mahesh Kumar. Chief Executive Officer, Asia Digital Engineering.
https://craft.co/airasia-com/executives
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.