A Delta Air Lines flight was forced to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday after a “smoky haze” unexpectedly filled the cabin shortly after takeoff.
Delta Air Lines Flight 876 landed safely at the airport at around 9 a.m. after the crew reported possible smoke in the flight deck while heading to Columbia, South Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
The Boeing 717 aircraft had just taken off about 30 minutes earlier, carrying 94 passengers and five crew members, FOX5 Atlanta reported.
Video taken from inside the aircraft shows the passenger cabin filling up with what appeared to be smoke. After landing safely on a runway, the video shows passengers using emergency slides and exits above the wings to leave the aircraft.
“The flight crew followed procedures to return to Atlanta when a haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure,” Delta said in a statement obtained by FOX5. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience.”
The FAA said it is investigating the incident.
The midair scare comes after a series of aviation disasters in the U.S. (RELATED: Trump Orders Investigation Into FAA DEI Policies Following Midair Collision Near Reagan National)
An American Airlines plane collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people last month. Less than 48 hours later, a medical ambulance flight crashed in Philadelphia, leaving seven people dead.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
