FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ A Spirit Airlines flight heading to Fort Lauderdale from LaGuardia Airport in New York was diverted to Myrtle Beach, S.C., Thursday night after several complaints of medical issues, because of an odd odor, officials said.
Flight 779 left LaGuardia about 8:30 p.m. and was diverted to Myrtle Beach about 10 p.m.
The Myrtle Beach Fire Department said all 220 passengers from the flight were evacuated at Myrtle Beach International Airport as its personnel checked the plane for any hazardous materials.
Several people were taken to an area hospital, but were expected to be fine, Myrtle Beach television station WPDE reported.
One passenger on the flight, Darren Dtoys Sewdass of Brooklyn, posted pictures of the evacuation on Facebook showing passengers from the flight outside the airplane.
"Something wrong with the plane," his post said.
A spokesperson for Miramar-based Spirit Airlines said the flight was diverted after "an odor developed in a section of the aircraft" and that another plane was being sent to the airport to take the passengers on to Fort Lauderdale, WPDE reported.
At midnight, the Myrtle Beach Fire Department said "no substances have been found after extensive monitoring of the aircraft."
The diverted passengers eventually arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport shortly before 5 a.m., according to WPLG-Ch. 10.
One passenger, Steven Costello, said the incident was alarming _ he said some children on the flight vomited and at least one woman fainted.
"Real bad, we didn't even know what really happened," Costello told the station.
