A security scare on an American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles on Wednesday was caused by a passenger allegedly smoking, authorities said.
Flight 117 was diverted to Albuquerque, N.M., at 8:00pm EST for a “precautionary landing” after a suspicious odor of smoke in the cabin, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The passenger involved was detained at the airport by law enforcement authorities and is being questioned.
The Transportation Security Administration said it had been notified of a passenger allegedly smoking on board the flight.
“Law enforcement officers interviewed the passenger and flight crew, and the flight has been cleared to continue to LAX,” it said in a statement.
The Fire Department responded to the incident at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABX) but did not find anything suspicious.
An airport spokesman said passengers and crew told authorities that a passenger had struck a “match or more.”
The incident was initially reported by news and entertainment website RadarOnline as a bomb scare.
The U.S. has been on high alert since a failed bombing on Christmas Day last year when a passenger traveling to Detroit allegedly tried to set off plastic explosives sewn to his underwear.
There were 290 people on board the plane, which was operated by Northwest Airlines and was flying from the Netherlands.