The Delta Airlines flight took off from the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Monday but returned after a chaotic situation emerged.
A Delta Airline flight returned to Atlanta Airport and made an emergency landing soon after taking off on Monday when crew members reported a smoky haze inside the cockpit, according to federal officials.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said that Delta Flight 876, heading to Columbia, South Carolina, returned safely to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Monday morning “after the crew reported possible smoke in the flight deck.” The FAA added that it was investigating the incident.
In a statement, Delta Airline said 94 passengers were on board the Boeing 717 aircraft departing Atlanta on Monday morning “when a haze inside the aircraft was observed.” It said pilots declared an emergency to get priority handling from air traffic controllers.
Delta spokesperson Samantha Moore Facteau said in a mail to AP that once the plane landed, slides were deployed so that passengers could quickly exit. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,” the airline said, adding “and we apologize to our customers for the experience.”
On Saturday, another Delta flight returned to Los Angeles after departing for Sydney, Australia, when smoke was detected in the galley, according to the airline. The incident came after a Delta plane flipped over last week while crash-landing in Toronto, injuring 21 people. The flight had 80 passengers onboard.
Among the injured three, including a child, were in serious condition. As many as 80 passengers were onboard the flight when the accident took place. All the 80 passengers were out of danger.
(With inputs from AP)
