Seattle: A Hawaiian Airlines flight bound for Honolulu was forced to return to the Seattle airport shortly after take-off due to reports of smoke in the cockpit, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The Airbus A330 took off at about 1 pm on Monday from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport carrying 273 passengers and 10 crew members. It was heading to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu when the crew reported fumes in the flight deck, Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Marissa Villegas said in an email.
The FAA is investigating the incident on Hawaiian Airlines Flight 21. “The captain declared an emergency to obtain priority handling and the Airbus A330 landed at SEA without incident,” Villegas said. Fire and medical personnel met the aircraft at the gate as a precaution and everyone onboard safely deplaned, she said.
Once the aircraft was cleared, the Port of Seattle Fire Department boarded to investigate and did not find any smoke or smell at the time, airport spokesperson Perry Cooper told the news agency AP.
Flight 21 left Seattle on Tuesday morning in a new aircraft, Villegas said. "Safety is our priority, and we sincerely apologise for this event," she said.
This is a developing news. More details will be added.
