A Delta Air Lines flight heading to South Carolina was forced to circle back and land in Atlanta Monday after possible smoke or haze was detected in the aircraft.
Delta Flight 876, a Boeing 717 aircraft, was en route from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Columbia, South Carolina at around 8:30 a.m. Monday when “haze inside the aircraft was observed,” according to a Delta spokesperson.
The nearly 100 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants on board the flight managed to evacuate safely after the plane turned back and landed at around 9:00 am. Atlanta’s Fire Rescue department was also present at the scene and helped passengers get off the aircraft safely.
“Delta Air Lines Flight 876 returned safely to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 9 a.m. local time on Monday, February 24 after the crew reported possible smoke in the flightdeck,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement per ABC News.
Delta added that the flight crew “followed procedures to return to Atlanta when a haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure.”
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience,” the airline continued, per NBC News.
Just last week, another Delta Air Lines flight flipped upside down while landing in a Toronto airport on Feb. 17. While all passengers survived, at least 15 were reported to have sustained injuries. The airline subsequently offered $30,000 to each passenger as a salve.
