A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 with 199 passengers and six crew members on board was evacuated on the runway at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport (ATL) on Saturday morning after smoke entered the cockpit shortly after takeoff.
Delta flight DL-2204 departed Atlanta at around 7:35 am bound for Orlando, but the aircraft only climbed to a maximum altitude of around 9,000 feet before the pilots suddenly started to divert back to ATL.
On board, the pilots had reported fumes in the cockpit, telling air traffic control: “We have smoke and fumes, we’re going to return… We are declaring an emergency,” the pilot said while taking gasps of air. The style of communication and noise was consistent with the pilots speaking through a special air-tight oxygen mask with built-in radio communications.
Air traffic control arranged for the aircraft to return immediately to Atlanta Hartsfield, with the aircraft landing on Runway 9L before taxiing to the end and then exiting onto an adjacent taxiway.
At this point, airport fire trucks pulled alongside the aircraft to check it over with the fire chief telling the pilots there was no sign of fire or smoke, and that the tires and brakes looked fine.
The pilots intended to taxi back to the gate where the passengers would be able to deplane normally, but just moments after starting to taxi, the pilots reported to the airport tower: “Change of plan… we have smoke in the back.”
The pilots stopped on the taxiway and initiated the evacuation checklist, ensuring that the engines were shut down before flight attendants deployed the emergency slides. Passengers were then evacuated onto the tarmac and assisted by airport fire personnel who had been accompanying the aircraft.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines commented: “The flight crew followed procedures to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after reports of fumes in the flight deck. A slide evacuation occurred on a taxiway, and customers are being reaccommodated on a new aircraft.”
The statement added: “Safety is paramount at Delta, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.”
