Delta passengers were forced to evacuate on an Atlanta runway after a smoky haze filled the cabin, causing panic and emergency response.
On February 24, 2025, passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight faced a scary situation when smoky haze filled the cabin shortly after takeoff.
The flight was headed for South Carolina but had to turn back to Atlanta.
This incident took place around 8:30 a.m. and involved 99 people, including passengers and crew.
Delta passengers evacuate on Atlanta runway after mysterious smoky haze fills cabin
The flight, Delta Flight 876, took off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Just a few moments into the flight, the pilot noticed the haze inside the cabin.
Following safety procedures, the pilot decided to return to Atlanta.
The pilots landed the plane safely and deployed emergency slides to evacuate everyone on board.
Passengers shared their experiences on social media.
One passenger recorded the evacuation, showing people covering their noses as they exited the plane.
“We are being evacuated off the plane,” a passenger said in a video of the midair mishap posted by 11Alive News.
“I recorded the whole time. I recorded the evacuation, smoke and all.”
Another passenger said, “I’m just glad we’re all okay. It was a frightening experience.”
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported during this incident.
Delta Airlines responded to the incident
A representative from Delta Airlines commented on the situation, stating that passenger safety is a top priority.
The spokesperson said, “The flight crew followed procedures to return to Atlanta when haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure.”
Delta apologized to the customers for the distressing experience.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience.”
FAA launches investigation into Delta incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it would investigate the incident.
This scrutiny comes after a similar situation occurred just two days prior.
Another Delta flight, bound for Los Angeles, had to divert due to smoke detected on board.
Such occurrences have raised concerns about safety protocols and the maintenance of aircraft.
Delta faces multiple recent safety concerns.
This is not an isolated event. It marks the third recent incident involving Delta flights facing smoke issues.
Just last week, another Delta flight flipped upside down and caught fire after landing at Toronto Pearson Airport.
That incident was terrifying but, thankfully, everyone on board survived.
Delta has offered compensation to those passengers $30K each as they address the aftermath of that event.
Social media reactions
The incident has sparked heated debate on social media amid recent flight disasters.
One user said: If those fumes were tricresyl phosphate, passengers on board were exposed to a highly toxic neurologic poison that airlines add to jet engine oil.
The second user wrote: Scary for passengers, not knowing what the problem was. Good job by Delta pilots and crew.
The third user commented: Not getting on a Delta plane…ever.
Another user asked: Haze or smoke? Cause? Why doesn’t the smoke/haze trigger the oxygen masks?
Someone added: WTF is happening to the Airline industry in the last month?? This is crazy??