Cross-country United flight diverted due to smell in the cabin

A United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty Airport to Los Angeles International Airport was diverted following reports of a “gaseous” smell in the cabin.

The aircraft — a Boeing 757-200 — left Newark at 4.24pm on Saturday and landed in Pittsburgh nearly two hours later.

A United Airlines spokesperson said all passengers got off the plane normally at the gate. Another aircraft was arranged to take customers to Los Angeles. That plane left Pittsburgh at 10:31 p.m. and landed in Los Angeles about 30 minutes after midnight, causing an almost six-hour delay to the flight’s schedule.

It’s unclear what caused the odor, but a spokesperson for the airline said it did not stem from a gas leak. The airline did not release additional information. The plane has been in service since 22 November 1994.

The Independent has emailed Pittsburgh International Airport for comment.

It’s not the first time an incident like this has happened on board an aircraft. Last month, an Alaska Airlines flight was forced to divert in Honolulu after crew reported feeling unwell due to an unidentifiable odor in the cabin.

The Honolulu Emergency Services Department said the members had symptoms, including nausea and disturbed coordination, which required hospital evaluation, according to Simple Flying.

An American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Hartford, Connecticut in August was forced to land in Raleigh after crew members detected an unknown odor in the cabin.

In May, a Southwest Airlines flight from Baltimore/Washington International Airport to Denver, Colorado had to land in Nashville due to a bad odor on board.