Hawaiin Airlines flight returns to Sea-Tac after fumes in cockpit

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and originally reported by the Seattle Times, a Hawaiian Airlines flight flying from Seattle to Honolulu was forced to make an emergency return flight shortly after takeoff on Monday because of smoke in the cockpit.

Hawaiian Airlines Flight 21 landed safely back at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) around 1 p.m., the FAA reported. The authority is currently investigating the incident.

MyNorthwest news: Aaron Brown, 76, a former news anchor at KIRO 7, KING 5 and CNN, has died

Hawaiian Airlines originally reported that the fumes were visible smoke.

“The captain declared an emergency to obtain priority clearance and the Airbus A330 landed in SEA without incident,” Marissa Villegas, a spokeswoman for Hawaiian Airlines, said in an emailed statement to The Seattle Times. “As a precaution, medical and fire personnel met the aircraft at the gate and all 273 passengers and 10 crew members were able to exit the aircraft safely.”

“Big Coyotes” Spotted in Seattle: What should you do if you encounter one?

Flight 21 successfully took off for Honolulu on Tuesday morning with a new aircraft. Passengers were provided with hotel accommodations, meals, compensation and earlier available flights.

“Safety is our priority and we sincerely apologize for this incident,” Villegas added.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at My northwest. You can read his stories Here. Keep following Bill X and send him an email Here.