American Airlines Illness, Midair Mystery Illness

UNKNOWN/CT757FAN VIA ISTOCK

Mystery illness forces American Airlines flight to Los Angeles to turn back to London - An American Airlines flight to Los Angeles was forced to turn around after a mystery illness spread through the jet.

The flight from London Heathrow turned back to Britain after a “medical emergency” that remains unidentified.

Passengers described the panic as the pilot made the decision to turn back over Iceland after seven crew members and “many passengers” fell ill, reported Mirror Online.

"The captain said he was turning the plane around. He said he wasn't willing to take the risk to keep going and hadn't got the crew to do it,” said Alan Gray.

Passengers were asked if there was a doctor on board before the decision to abort the flight was taken approximately five hours into the journey.

After the forced landing, passengers were told to remain in their seats, while air inside the aircraft was monitored for "elevated levels of substances."

But the test provided no clues to the mystery.

A spokesman for the airline confirmed there was a "medical emergency" and people on the flight were "ill" but had no other information.

Paramedics and fire crews rushed to meet Flight AA109 as it landed at Heathrow.

A statement from American Airlines confirmed the incident and added: "We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience to their travel plans."