A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-200 returned to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport shortly after departure following a report of fumes on the flight deck.
The aircraft, registration N555NW, was operating flight DL-2204 to Orlando International Airport with 199 passengers and six crew on board.
Climb Stopped at 9,000 Feet
The 757 departed from runway 09L and was climbing away from Atlanta when the crew levelled off at around 9,000 feet and advised air traffic control that fumes were present in the cockpit as per The Aviation Herald.
An emergency was declared and the crew requested an immediate return.
The aircraft landed safely on runway 09R approximately 17 minutes after departure. After vacating the landing runway, the 757 crossed runway 09L and came to a stop clear of both runways.
Evacuation on the Taxiway in Atlanta
Delta confirmed that the crew had declared an emergency due to fumes in the cockpit.
With the aircraft stopped on the taxiway, the decision was taken to evacuate using the escape slides rather than wait for a tow to a gate at Atlanta.
Passengers were subsequently collected by bus and taken to the terminal building, and Delta arranged a replacement aircraft to operate the remainder of the service to Orlando.
Fume events are treated with considerable caution by flight crews, as contaminated bleed air can degrade crew performance without an obvious visual cue.
Standard procedure calls for the immediate use of oxygen masks and a diversion to the nearest suitable airport.
The Aircraft Involved
N555NW is a Boeing 757-251 built at Renton, carrying manufacturer serial number 33391 and line number 1011.
It first flew on 11 April 2002, making the airframe a little over 24 years old, and it is powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW2037 engines.
The aircraft was delivered new to Northwest Airlines on 25 April 2002 and joined Delta on 29 October 2008 following the merger between the two carriers.
Winglets were fitted in November 2008. It was reconfigured to its current 199 seat layout in December 2015 and spent a period in storage at San Bernardino between April and July 2020.
The airframe remains active following the incident in Atlanta.
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