Philly-bound flight makes emergency landing in Rome

Several people on board a Philadelphia bound flight received first aid after the plane was diverted to Rome.

US Airway flight 797 from Tel Aviv made the emergency landing at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport at 1:38 a.m. Saturday morning (7:38 p.m. Friday in Philadelphia).

The ABC affiliate in Philadelphia said a foul odor sickened the flight’s 14 crew members and two passengers. They were treated and released from a Rome Hospital.

Martha Thomas, a spokeswoman for American Airlines, said it is investigating the source of a rubbery odor aboard the Airbus A330. She said several flight attendants had detected an unusual odor. American Airlines and US Airways merged last year.

Italian media was reporting that the cause of the smell may have been a malfunctioning ventilation system.

The plane left Tel Aviv late Friday with 129 passengers.

All passengers were put on other flights.

The Associated Press contributed to this report