San Diego

San Diego-Bound Flight Diverted to Albuquerque Due to Chemical Smell

A flight bound for San Diego was diverted to Albuquerque, New Mexico Sunday evening because of a report of smoke in the cabin, Albuquerque’s international airport said.

Frontier Flight 1839 left Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 8:39 p.m. en route for San Diego but during the flight, pilots were forced to make an emergency landing at Albuquerque International Sunport, airport officials said.

A passenger told NBC 7 she smelled chemicals on the plane and when airline crews spoke over the loudspeaker, she could tell they were wearing masks although masks never deployed for passengers. 

A Frontier Airlines spokesperson confirmed oxygen masks did not deploy. Frontier Airlines also said the diversion was due to a chemical smell and not due to smoke as airport officials reported. 

Firefighters and emergency crews lined the runway as passengers deplaned in Albuquerque. 

In a statement, Frontier Airlines said the flight landed safely and no injuries were reported among the 129 passengers and six crew members.

Frontier reportedly gave passengers a $200 flight voucher, put them in hotels overnight, and rescheduled them on a flight Monday morning.

The flight landed in San Diego without incident just before 10 a.m. Monday.

The cause of the odor is under investigation.

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