Delta Air Lines 717-200 Fills With Smoke, Prompting Emergency Landing And Frenzied Evacuation

A Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Columbia, South Carolina, operated by a Boeing 717-200, was forced to return to Atlanta and hurriedly evacuate after smoke filled the cabin after takeoff.

Delta Air Lines 717-200 Emergency Landing + Slide Evacuation After Cabin Fills With Smoke

The incident occurred earlier today, Monday, February 24, 2025, on Delta flight 876, which departed from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) at 8:30 am bound for Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE). The flight was operated by a 25-year-old 717 (registration number N942AT), which entered service for AirTran in 1999 and was acquired by Delta in 2015.

Shortly after takeoff, a “haze inside the aircraft was observed” (according to a Delta spokesperson), prompting an immediate return to Atlanta. The FAA added, “The crew reported possible smoke in the flight deck.” Emergency slides were deployed and an evacuation ensued, with passenger video footage showing the cabin filled with smoke:

The flight had 94 passengers, plus two pilots and three flight attendants onboard.

Sadly, many took their carry-on items with them, slowing down the evacuation.

Fire rescue personnel from ATL met the aircraft and assisted in the evacuation. The cause of the smoke onboard is not yet known and the aircraft has been taken out of service.

Surely the fact that this occurred on Delta will add heightened scrutiny after the crash landing in Toronto last week of a Delta -Endeavor Air CRJ-900, but this appeared to be a textbook emergency landing and evacuation, minus the folks who were selfish enough to take their belongings with them…

image: passenger photograph shared with ABC News