American Airlines flight diverted after 'chemical spill', crew members lose consciousness

The flight traveling from Heathrow, London, to Philadelphia was diverted at Dublin Airport due to an odour.

American Airlines
Twitter grab

An American Airlines flight from London to Philadelphia was diverted following a "chemical spill" on board the plane. On Monday, the incident also resulted in two of the airline's cabin crew members losing consciousness after inhaling the fumes.

The flight traveling from Heathrow, London, had to make an emergency landing at Dublin Airport due to an odour "caused by a spilled cleaning solution in the galley," the airline said, adding that two crew members and one passenger went to a hospital "for evaluation."

One passenger wrote on Twitter that the spillage "led to [a] sickness outbreak and an emergency landing." Katie Phillips, who was traveling on the same flight, wrote on Twitter about the incident and said that it "has led to sickness outbreak and an emergency landing." She described the scent to be "slightly sweeter than fuel."

Another passenger wrote on Twitter about noticing "noxious smells" on board the flight. Some of the passengers started to feel unwell shortly after takeoff.

While talking to CNN, Phillips said their flight had been delayed for nearly an hour at Heathrow when crew members noticed the "strange smell." "I could see her. She was surrounded by other staff members," Phillips said about a flight attendant falling ill.

"As per standard operating procedures there was a full turn-out of Dublin Airport's emergency fire services," the airport's representative said, saying the flight's diversion was due to a "medical emergency."

The airline said the flight had been rescheduled to leave Dublin on Tuesday morning.

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