The methane gas floats on the water's surface as many tiny bubbles. The density of the resulting gas-water mixture is much less than that of seawater. If a ship finds itself in such an area, due to the lower density, it quickly sinks below the actual sea surface, and the crew is unable even to make an emergency call. The ship sinks.

In the case of Flight 19, several witnesses confirmed that they saw an explosion in the sky. However, the methane concentration in the air would have to be 5% (the lower explosive limit) for a blast to occur under the influence of the engines. But even lower concentrations of methane in the air can disrupt aircraft engines - the methane in the air causes enrichment of the fuel-air mixture and subsequent unstable operation or failure of the engines.