Five people on board an American Airlines flight were hospitalized after the plane was diverted due to an odor inside the flight deck and cabin, reports said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said, “American Airlines Flight 2118 landed safely at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston around 7:10 p.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 23, after the crew reported fumes in the flight deck and cabin.”
“The Airbus A321 departed Orlando International Airport and was headed to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,” the FAA added.
Four crew members and one passenger were taken to a hospital for treatment, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth reported, citing the Houston Fire Department.
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It was not immediately clear what the odor was.
“I’m gonna have some transports here out of the airport on this,” a crew member was heard saying as the plane was diverted to Texas, according to KHOU. “Aircraft alert. I’m gonna need probably 4 transport units.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 13.10 | +0.23 | +1.79% |
The other passengers on board the plane were then moved to a different aircraft to continue to Phoenix.
“On Nov. 23, American Airlines Flight 2118 landed safely and taxied to the gate under its own power at Houston (IAH) following reports of an odor on board. The flight re-departed on a replacement aircraft,” American Airlines said in a statement Tuesday to FOX Business. “We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience.”
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The FAA did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for further comment from FOX Business.
In October, another American Airlines plane turned around shortly after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) “due to reports of an odor in the cabin,” the airline said.
The pilots in that incident also reported to air traffic control that they smelled and tasted something that prompted them to put on oxygen masks in the cockpit, WABC-TV reported.
The plane landed back at LAX safely, and seven passengers were evaluated, but no one was taken to a medical facility for further treatment, WABC reported.
FOX Business’ Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
