Claims of illness force airplane to land

PHILADELPHIA, July 11 (UPI) -- A flight traveling from Charlotte, N.C., to Rome was diverted to Philadelphia after several passengers and crew members said they smelled fumes and felt ill.

Five US Airways crew members aboard Flight 720 were taken to a Philadelphia hospital Tuesday for observation after they reportedly became nauseous from some type of odor, WCNC-TV, Charlotte, reported Wednesday.

Initial media reports indicated the plane landed at Philadelphia International Airport late Tuesday after a dozen people on the plane, including four crew members, complained of feeling sick after detecting fumes on the plane.

The pilot decided to land the plane in Philadelphia out of "an abundance of caution," a US Airways representative said.

Police say the 177 passengers and 12 crew members aboard were evacuated, and those saying they felt ill were taken to a hospital, where they were treated and released, WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, reported.

Passengers were put on another plane and the flight resumed, CNN reported.

Authorities were trying to determine what caused the odor, the US Airways representative said.