burned insulation, something like 0 that. it was worafting through the cabin. >> reporter: some say the stench nearly gagged them, and the crew made the dramatic decision to divert to the tiny island of midway, riding out turbulence and at one point suddenly dropping 40 feet. >> i think after the 40-foot drop it got really silent in the cabin. people pray. we all prayed. >> reporter: a nail biting hour later, touchdown. >> nice to step out. >> reporter: the airline now says the problem was an equipment cooling fan not necessary for flight. >> there's a regular one and a backup fan. so if the primary one fails, the backup will kick in automatically. >> reporter: but keith wolz inninger who flies these kind of planes says especially after so much open water, caution is critical. >> if you're not sure what the problem is, the first rule is to divert, get the airplane on the