United flight diverted after strong odour left passengers feeling ill

A United Airlines flight made an unscheduled stop at Washington Dulles International Airport on Friday after an odour 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 a scent of fuel in the cabin caused several passengers to complain of nausea, chest pain and trouble breathing. "Before take-off, you could detect a faint smell of fuel which I thought nothing of," Santra said. "As we continued to go to cruising altitude, the smell became very strong." United cancelled the flight and informed passengers that the aircraft, a Boeing 737, required "prolonged ventilation system maintenance," Santra said. United did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The incident did not impact airport operations, Dulles officials said.<br/>