A Delta Air Lines flight headed to the Detroit Metro Airport was diverted to another US airport after the crew onboard declared an emergency due to a reported mystery odour in the cockpit.
As confirmed by an airline spokesperson, Flight 337, carrying 187 passengers and six crew members, departed for the Detroit airport from Orlando International Airport (MCO) on Thursday (US time), CBS News reported.
Later on, the jet was forced to change its course and fly to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina instead.
Reports indicate smoke inside Delta plane cockpit; official word awaited
No further details were released officially, and little was known about the cause of the odour that caused a full-blown emergency.
In the aftermath of the midair mishap, a Delta official said the plane was under evaluation. According to Travel and Tour World’s (TTW) report, Charlotte’s Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) personnel took charge at the scene and conducted thermal scans and visual inspections of the plane’s exterior to ensure there were no active fire hazards.
TTW’s report further suggested that the sudden in-flight emergency was triggered when the crew detected smoke within the cockpit. Pilots are believed to have deployed emergency oxygen masks in a dire situation.
Delta, Charlotte airport issue statement after in-flight emergency
Delta said in a statement, “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologise for their experience and delay in travel,” as quoted by CBS News.
Both the airline and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport confirmed that the plane eventually landed safely in Charlotte. Accommodations were made for passengers’ overnight hotel stay, and they were provided with meal vouchers, according to a CBS News report.
The flight was scheduled to fly to its original destination, Detroit Metro Airport, on Friday.
This is an ongoing investigation.