A United Airlines flight made an unscheduled stop at Washington Dulles International Airport on Friday after an odor in the cabin left passengers feeling ill.
Flight 1675 from Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) was en route to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), when it landed at Dulles at about 7:45 a.m.
The plane landed without incident, according to a statement from Dulles International Airport. The Fire and Rescue Department responded to the scene and transported seven passengers to local hospitals for evaluation, the statement said.
Raman Santra, one of the passengers on the flight, said that there was a "faint fuel smell" in the cabin before departure. The odor became "quite strong while in the air" and several passengers complained of nausea, chest pain and trouble breathing, Santra said.
United Airlines canceled the flight and informed passengers that the aircraft, a Boeing 737, required "prolonged ventilation system maintenance," Santra said.
Santra's wife, Jo Palmer, was one of the seven hospitalized because she had more acute symptoms. He said United Airlines representatives offered to take care of the hospital bills and other expenses.
Palmer is doing better now, and the two hope to make it to their friend's wedding later Friday, Santra told CNN.
United Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The incident did not impact airport operations, Dulles officials said.
The-CNN-Wire
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