Ooh, that smell: International flight diverted because of bizarre odor



SEATTLE - Several hundred airline passengers were stranded in Seattle Friday morning after their plane was diverted to Sea-Tac International Airport following a strong electrical odor that filled the cabin.

Lufthansa Flight 459 was headed from San Francisco to Munich, Germany late Thursday night when a bizarre electrical smell was detected on board. Passengers complained of trouble breathing, and crews diverted the plane to Seattle. The plane landed safely at Sea-Tac around 11:30 p.m.

Passengers complaining of illness  and a burning in their throat were treated on board the plane, and no major injuries were reported. Passenger Elizabeth Munro-Davnel said the strong smell came from the galley.

"We didn't know what was causing it," Munro-Davnel said. "Some people felt sick and they reported the problem. The pilot decided to head for Portland and then decided to redirect to Seattle."

Another passenger on board, Inez Korczynski, said he immediately noticed the bad smell "coming from everywhere."

"They didn't specify a specific point just everywhere and they said because of that they had to land originally in Portland so they will check what's going on because they thought it was some electrical installation."

The plane was believed to be an Airbus Aircraft.

A Lufthansa Airlines spokesperson said they're unsure of what caused the smell, but say there was no fire or smoke on board.  Investigators are looking into the cause.

The passengers are being re-booked onto other flights.