Yesterday afternoon, American Airlines flight 109, en route from London to Los Angeles, turned around shortly after flying past Keflavík International Airport, because of a mystery illness onboard. The plane was offered to land in Keflavík, but the pilot decided against it, Vísir reports.
Seven crew members, as well as several passengers, reported feeling light-headed or about to faint. One of the crew members collapsed as she walked down the aisle. An announcement was made in the passenger cabin, asking if there were doctors or nurses onboard. Subsequently, the captain made the decision to turn the aircraft around and land at Heathrow Airport.
The airplane, a Boeing 777, landed there at 5:05 pm, five hours after takeoff. Paramedics, police cars and firefighters awaited the plane at the airport, where the air quality in the cabin was assessed. No explanation for the illness was found.
Today, there still is no explanation as to why the people were taken ill, but as The New York Times reports, “dizziness and loss of consciousness are among a range of symptoms that have been associated in the past with jet engine fumes leaking into the cabin.”
