Why did Alaska Airlines Flight 217 return to San Diego?

Alaska Airlines Flight 217 returned to San Diego because passengers and crew members reported feeling ill and nauseous.

Were any passengers hospitalized after the Alaska Airlines flight diversion?

No, although a handful of passengers were assessed by EMTs upon return to San Diego, none were transported to the hospital.

What happened to the Alaska Airlines aircraft after the incident?

The aircraft involved in the incident was removed from service and is undergoing inspection.

Home / Disasters and Accidents / Illness Forces Hawaii Flight Back to San Diego

Illness Forces Hawaii Flight Back to San Diego

20 Dec

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Summary

An Alaska Airlines flight to Hawaii returned to San Diego after passengers reported feeling ill.
Crew members felt unwell and nauseous about 80 minutes into the flight.
The aircraft was taken out of service for inspection following the incident.

Illness Forces Hawaii Flight Back to San Diego

An Alaska Airlines flight departing from San Diego for Lihue, Hawaii, was forced to turn back to its origin city shortly after takeoff on December 20, 2025. The decision to divert was made after passengers and crew members began reporting feelings of illness and nausea approximately one hour and 20 minutes into the scheduled flight.

Upon arrival back at San Diego International Airport, emergency medical technicians were present at the gate to assess the situation. While a number of passengers were evaluated, no one needed to be transported to a hospital. The airline has stated its commitment to reaccommodating all affected passengers.

The aircraft involved in the incident has been removed from service for a thorough inspection to determine the cause of the reported illnesses. Airport operations at San Diego International remained unaffected by the diversion.