Delta Passengers Flee Smoke-Filled Cabin As Boeing 717 Makes Emergency Landing

Chaos erupted aboard a Delta Air Lines flight on Monday when smoke filled the cabin, forcing passengers to evacuate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The Boeing 717-200 was en route to Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina when a mysterious haze overwhelmed the cabin, prompting an emergency return to Atlanta. The flight landed around 9 a.m., and all 94 passengers, along with two pilots and three flight attendants, were forced to flee using emergency exit slides.

Shocking images captured passengers standing on the aircraft’s left wing, clutching their belongings as they scrambled to escape the smoke-filled plane.

"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 flight deck," the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed in a statement.

Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew noticed the haze and declared an emergency to receive priority landing clearance from air traffic control.

"The flight crew followed procedures to return to Atlanta when a haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure," a Delta spokesperson stated. "Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and employees, and we apologize for the experience."

Passengers were seen covering their faces with clothing as smoke engulfed the cabin, according to video footage shared with 11 Alive.

Delta arranged ground transportation to return passengers to the terminal and is working to rebook them on alternate flights. An airport spokesperson told ABC News that the incident had a "moderate impact" on operations.

Delta’s Recent Safety Woes Continue

This latest incident comes on the heels of another terrifying Delta flight last week. The airline recently offered $30,000 to passengers who survived a harrowing crash in Toronto.

On February 17, a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Toronto Pearson Airport lost control while landing in heavy winds, causing the aircraft to flip upside down, burst into flames, and snap its wing.

Miraculously, all 76 passengers and four crew members survived, though 21 people were hospitalized.

Disturbing audio from air traffic controllers and a Medevac helicopter captured the moment officials realized the disaster had occurred. "This airplane has just crashed," one controller was heard saying. A separate transmission described the plane as "upside down and burning."

Passengers later described the horror of being "hung like bats" from their seats after the crash. Ski filmmaker Pete Koukov recounted his struggle to unstrap himself while suspended upside down before making a desperate escape.

Despite growing concerns, Delta CEO Ed Bastian defended the airline’s safety standards, telling CBS News, "There is only one level of safety across the airline and its subsidiaries. All of our pilots are trained for these conditions."

While investigations into both incidents continue, passengers are left shaken, questioning the recent streak of safety scares aboard Delta flights.