United flight bound from D.C. to Mexico lands in Havana because of ‘electrical’ odor

An airliner flying from Washington to Mexico made an unscheduled landing in Havana on Sunday after the crew detected a strange odor in the cabin, authorities said.

United Airlines Flight 831 from Dulles International Airport to Cancun, Mexico, with 135 passengers on board, landed in Havana about noon, according to a statement from the airline. It left Dulles just before 9 a.m.

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The airline reported that the crew had “noticed an unfamiliar smell”; a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said that an early report to the agency described it as similar to “a strong electrical odor.”

The airline’s statement said, “In an abundance of caution, the pilots decided to land the aircraft at the nearest available airport.”

United said the jetliner, an Airbus A320, “landed routinely and safely in Havana and we have reaccommodated our customers on a different flight.”

Authorities said a U.S. airliner was sent to Cuba to pick up the passengers and take them on to Cancun.

It was not clear Sunday night how common such incidents are. “I don’t think it’s very common,” said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Les Dorr.

The United States and Cuba do not have full diplomatic relations. However, Dorr said said that under the agency’s regulations, an airline captain “has the authority to do whatever is necessary for the safety of the flight.”

Travel between the U.S. and Cuba is restricted. Charter flights are permitted, however, and the U.S. government moved earlier this year to expand opportunities for charters.

Officials at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington could not be immediately reached Sunday night.