A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Columbia, South Carolina, was forced to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday morning after a “haze” was observed inside the aircraft, prompting an emergency landing and evacuation. This marks the second smoke-related incident involving a Delta flight within a week.
Flight 876, a Boeing 717 carrying 94 passengers, three flight attendants, and two pilots, took off from Atlanta at 8:30 a.m. but turned back just 35 minutes later. Delta confirmed that the flight crew “followed procedures to return to Atlanta when a haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure.” The airline emphasized that “nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people” and apologized for the experience.
Passengers described a concerning situation onboard. “When the plane took off, it began to fill up with haze, and it was hard to breathe at times,” said Johnny, a passenger on the flight. Another passenger, Kristin Morris, recalled that “a few of us started to question what was going on. People began screaming, ‘smoke, smoke, smoke.'”
The aircraft declared an emergency to receive priority handling from air traffic control. Upon landing at 9:04 a.m., emergency slides were deployed, and Atlanta Fire Rescue assisted in evacuating all onboard. Video footage shared on social media showed the hazy cabin and passengers standing on the tarmac after deplaning.
A spokesperson for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport confirmed that the incident caused moderate disruptions to airport operations. The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the cause of the haze, and Delta is also conducting its own internal review.
This event follows another smoke-related emergency just two days prior, when a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Sydney was forced to return to LAX after smoke was detected in the galley. The FAA is investigating both incidents. Delta has assured passengers that its teams are working to assist those affected by the Atlanta flight, including rebooking travel.
