8 sent to hospitals after fumes on Spirit Airlines flight in Las Vegas

Las Vegas — Eight people were taken to hospitals after a Spirit Airlines flight returned to a Las Vegas airport gate because of fumes or an odor in the cabin, authorities said. The plane had not taken off.

Airline spokesman Derek Dombrowski said 174 passengers and seven crew members aboard Spirit flight 170 returned a little before 9 a.m. Wednesday to a terminal at McCarran International Airport.

The plane had been set to take off for Minneapolis.

Airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said paramedics checked 15 people.

She says one passenger, six aircraft crew members and one medical responder went to hospitals. The medic's health issues were believed to be unrelated to the smell aboard the Airbus A321, which Dombrowski said resembled oil.

The aircraft was taken out of service to be checked by maintenance crews, CBS Las Vegas affiliate KLAS reported.

Spirit Airlines said passengers will be accommodated on other flights and given meals and full refunds or future travel vouchers.

Dombrowski also noted that a Spirit flight from Las Vegas to Tampa, Florida, diverted Sunday to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. He says it was because of a sick passenger.