United Flight 831 took off around 9 a.m. from Dulles airport , the airline 's website says . Its crew noticed a strong odor in the plane , says FAA and United spokesmen . Normally , there are tight restrictions on the travel of U.S. citizens to the Communist state of Cuba , based on federal law . The pilot reported that he smelled smoke but did not know what caused it until after takeoff, said spokesman Ross Feinstein. United , which does n't fly to Cuba , is sending a plane there to transport passengers .
United Flight 831 took off around 9 a.m. from Dulles airport , the airline 's website says . Its crew noticed a strong odor in the plane , says FAA and United spokesmen . The pilot reported that he smelled smoke but did not know what caused it until after takeoff, said spokesman Ross Feinstein. United , which does n't fly to Cuba , is sending a plane there to transport passengers .