An American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles was diverted to Albuquerque, after a passenger was found smoking in a lavatory, airport authorities said.
Passengers on board Flight 117 said they could smell smoke in the cabin after the man left the lavatory on Wednesday night.
Pilots declared an emergency and landed in Albuquerque in New Mexico state, where the man was taken off the plane for questioning. The other passengers were evacuated while officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and bomb-sniffing dogs searched the cabin, Xinhua reported.
The unidentified man was not arrested, but has been detained for questioning, FBI special agent Darrin Jones said.
There was a total of 169 people on the plane including crew. After re-boarding, the plane landed in Los Angeles after a six-hour delay.