Delta plane evacuated at Atlanta Airport due to smoke, passengers use emergency slides

Delta passengers had to evacuate via emergency slides at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday after haze or smoke was detected inside the plane, according to the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Delta Flight 876, which was traveling from Atlanta to Columbia, South Carolina, reported "haze inside the aircraft," as stated by a Delta spokesperson. The FAA also noted that the crew mentioned "possible smoke in the flight deck."

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Delta plane had to stop in Atlanta due to smoke inside

The Boeing 717, carrying 94 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants, returned to Atlanta and landed safely, as confirmed by both Delta and the FAA.

'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.

Atlanta Fire Rescue assisted with the evacuation of passengers, according to the airport.

The airport reported "moderate impact to operations" following the incident.

A Delta spokesperson emphasized, "Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience."

Videos of the incident spread quickly on social media. According to video shared with 11 Alive, passengers used their clothing to cover their faces as clouds of smoke filled the cabin.

It is not the first incident reported on Delta's planes

The incident follows Delta's offer to compensate all passengers aboard the Toronto-bound flight, which crashed and flipped upside down, with $30,000 as a goodwill gesture.

On February 17, 76 passengers and four crew members were aboard the flight from Minneapolis to Toronto Pearson Airport when it lost control during landing due to heavy winds.

The plane caught fire, and its wing snapped, causing it to flip upside down, leaving passengers "hanging like bats" from their seats.

Miraculously, all onboard survived, though 21 passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The offer comes as an investigation is underway to determine what went wrong, with a joint effort from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

CEO Ed Bastian defended his pilots, telling CBS that the airline maintains "one level of safety" across its operations and subsidiaries.

'All these pilots train for these conditions. They fly under all kinds of conditions at all of the airports in which we operate. So, no, there's nothing specific with respect to experience that I'd look to,' Bastian said. 

The FAA will conduct an investigation into the incident.