Passengers aboard an Orlando-bound Delta flight had to evacuate via slide after the aircraft made an emergency landing on a taxiway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after takeoff Saturday morning.
The aircraft, carrying approximately 200 passengers and six crew members, reported a smoke condition in the flight deck and declared an emergency. Delta Flight 2204, which took off from Atlanta shortly before 7:30 a.m., turned back and made an emergency landing.
A Delta spokesperson said evacuation slides were deployed and that passengers and crew departed the plane on the taxiway before being bused to the terminal.
“The flight crew followed procedures to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after reports of fumes in the flight deck,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “A slide evacuation occurred on a taxiway, and customers are being reaccommodated on a new aircraft. Safety is paramount at Delta, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.”
Passengers are being rebooked to Orlando, and the aircraft is undergoing a maintenance review, Delta said. The airline said that one crew member and one customer sought medical attention.
The FAA said in a statement that the aircraft landed safely around 8 a.m. and that the agency will investigate the incident.
Video of the incident posted to TikTok show passengers frantically escaping the plane via its inflatable emergency slides on an airport taxiway.
“Just experienced one of my worst fears ever!” the video was captioned. “Plane evacuation.”
The video then shows footage from outside of the aircraft. At least three inflatable slides can be seen deployed from the plane. Dozens of passengers holding their belongings lined up along the taxiway, the video shows.
