In the last few hours, a Delta Air Lines aircraft was evacuated at Atlanta Airport due to smoke in the cabin.
Information and pictures have been released following the harrowing incident at the airline’s mega hub.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
Delta Air Lines Flight DL876 Atlanta to Columbia Metropolitan…
Delta Air Lines flight DL876, of which the aircraft was evacuated, is a routine scheduled flight between Atlanta Airport & Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
Furthermore, the aircraft involved in the incident was N942AT.
As per data from Planespotters.net, N942AT is a 25.8 year old Boeing 717 that started out life with AirTran Airways in September 1999.
The airline took delivery of the aircraft in May 2015, after a short hiatus in storage.
Delta Air Lines flight DL876, of which the aircraft was evacuated, departed Atlanta Airport this morning.
Around 30 minutes into the journey, the aircraft turned back to the airline’s megahub.
Not long after, the aircraft landed and the flight was evacuated.
In a statement, Delta Air Lines said the following on the aircraft that was evacuated:
“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,”
Moreover, it is understood that 99 people were onboard the aircraft:
- 94 passengers
- Two pilots.
- Three flight attendants.
The cause?: Haze was found inside the cabin, or smoke.
What Next?
In terms of what comes next, the Delta Air Lines aircraft that was evacuated at Atlanta Airport will be taken out of service.
This is so then maintenance crews can check for where the cause of the smoke started.
From there, repairs will be made if possible, allowing the aircraft to return to commercial service.
The airport also said the following in a statement:
“This morning, a Delta Air Lines aircraft conducted an air-return after departure”.
“Atlanta Fire Rescue assisted in the deplaning of all passengers and crew members.”
No injuries were reported on the aircraft, and it is understood the airline will be rebooking passengers onto the next available flight.
As soon as we have more information pertinent to the incident, we will update you accordingly.
