Sixteen people fall sick on US Airways flight shortly after take-off

A US Airways flight from Israel was forced to make an emergency landing after 14 crew members and two passengers fell ill.

The flight, bound for Philadelphia, diverted to land in Rome turned into every flyer's worst nightmare when a foul-smelling odour permeated the cabin, NBC News reported.

There were reports the crew and passengers were suffering from nausea and puffy red eyes.

A spokesperson for the airline said they were investigating what happened.

"The aircraft landed safely and all passengers were re-accommodated on other flights," the spokesperson said.

It was a relatively short trip, as passengers noted the odour a couple of hours after leaving Tel Aviv.