Plastic Smell on Plane Causes Flight to Divert

Image: PHOTO: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737. (Photo via Alaska Airlines)
Image: PHOTO: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737. (Photo via Alaska Airlines)
Alex Temblador
by Alex Temblador
Last updated: 11:16 AM ET, Sat May 11, 2019

It seems one of the biggest mysteries among airlines this year is strange smells, some of which send passengers or cabin crews to the hospital. Last week, smells on two different Spirit Airlines flights brought planes to the ground for inspection.

Now, it seems the problem has spread to Alaska Airlines.

An Alaska Airlines flight had left from Portland and was bound for Los Angeles International Airport on Friday evening. However, the flight was diverted to John Wayne Airport when the crew noticed a strong plastic smell from the back galley.

The Airbus A320 was carrying 146 passengers and five crew members. The cabin crew detected the smell about 30 minutes before landing, which prompted them to divert to LAX out of caution at 7:45 p.m.

Medical personnel checked out some of the crew members and three passengers, but none sought out additional care.

The spokeswoman told CBS Los Angeles, "We've removed the plane from service and maintenance technicians are inspecting the aircraft."


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