Seattle-bound flight diverted to Portland by strong smell

SEATTLE (AP) – A Seattle-bound Alaska Airlines flight was diverted to Portland after a strong smell permeated the passenger cabin.

KOMO reports that Alaska Airlines Flight 1323, an Airbus 319 aircraft, departed from San Francisco at about 9 p.m. Monday for what was expected to be a two-hour flight to Seattle.

The airline says that sometime during the flight, a strong smell was detected onboard, and the captain decided to make an unscheduled landing in Portland to figure out the cause of the problem.

The aircraft landed safely, and passengers were rebooked on other flights to Seattle.

Crews inspected the Airbus to try to determine the cause of the odor, but found no indication of a fire onboard the jetliner.