Passengers evacuated after cockpit fumes force Delta flight to turn around

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Orlando, Florida, was forced to return to Atlanta Saturday morning after reports of fumes in the cockpit, prompting passengers to evacuate using emergency slides.The flight departed from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 7:23 a.m. and was diverted not long after, landing back in Atlanta at 7:59 a.m., according to flightaware.com data. “Delta 2204, change of plans. We now have smoke in the back, and we need to deplane immediately,” according to air traffic control audio captured by ATC.com.There were 199 passengers and six crew members aboard the Boeing 757 that had to evacuate using slides on the taxiway, a Delta spokesman told Fox 5 Atlanta.Passengers were bused back to the main terminal and are being placed on a replacement aircraft to continue their trip to Orlando. Meanwhile, Delta maintenance crews are inspecting the grounded plane to determine the cause of the issue.An Orlando-bound Delta flight returned to Atlanta early Saturday morning after reports of smoke in the cockpit (Getty Images)“The flight crew followed procedures to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after reports of fumes in the flight deck,” Delta said in a statement. “A slide evacuation occurred on a taxiway. Safety is paramount at Delta, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.”Airline officials have not yet confirmed what caused the fumes.The Independent has contacted Delta for comment.