A person who "passed gas" forced a plane in North Carolina to empty yesterday when the smell caused fellow passengers to report nausea and headaches, US media reported.

The American Airlines flight landed at Raleigh-Durham airport when the incident was reported, with all passengers taken off the plane and the cause investigated.

An airport official subsequently said it appeared a passenger had "passed gas."

This is not the first time flatulence has forced a plane to land. In 2006 a farting woman forced a plane diversion after passengers told crew they smelt burning. The FBI later discovered a passenger was secretly burning matches to mask body odour.