US Airways fliers complain of sickness

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Seven crew members and two passengers aboard a US Airways flight bound for Jamaica were taken to a hospital on Tuesday after complaints about strong odors kept the jet grounded.

Passengers began complaining of a foul electrical smell aboard Flight 985 soon after it pushed away from its gate at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport bound for Montego Bay, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

Two pilots, five flight attendants and two passengers sought medical attention as a precaution after detecting the odor, US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder said.

All were expected to be discharged from Carolinas Medical Center within hours of arriving at the hospital with coughing, throat pain, or lung irritation, spokesman Raymond Jones said.

Wunder did not know how many passengers were aboard. The airline said all but two boarded a later flight to Jamaica.

A fire department hazardous materials unit found no air contaminants in the jet's cabin, the airline said.

Spokesmen for the airport and the fire department declined comment.