Delta flight forced to turn around and evacuate over 200 passengers and crew down emergency slides after fumes fill cockpit

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:42, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 16:42, 9 August 2026 A Delta flight was forced to turn around and evacuate nearly 200 passengers and six crew members down emergency slides after fumes filled the cockpit. Delta Air Lines Flight 2204 returned to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after takeoff on Saturday morning after fumes were reported on the aircraft's flight deck.  'Delta 2204, change of plans. We now have smoke in the back, and we need to deplane immediately,' air traffic control audio heard the pilot say.  The flight had departed from ATL at 7.23am, only to return to the airport just 36 minutes later, according to data from flightaware.com. The Boeing 757 was met by first responders on an airport taxiway as 199 passengers and six crew members evacuated the aircraft on the emergency slides, a Delta spokesperson told the Daily Mail. Passengers were transported back to the main terminal by bus and were able to complete their journey on a replacement flight to Orlando, according to the airline.  '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. Safety is paramount at Delta, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.'  Delta Air Lines Flight 2204 returned to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after takeoff on Saturday morning after fumes were reported on the aircraft's flight deck The Boeing 757 was met by first responders on an airport taxiway as 199 passengers and six crew members evacuated the aircraft on the emergency slides The plane was then inspected by maintenance crews, but the cause of the malfunction remains unclear, the airline said.  Jordan Conlin, a passenger aboard the aircraft, told Fox 5 that he was travelling with his family when the incident occurred.  'When the pilot's yelling brace, brace, brace during the landing, I'm just thinking, "holy c***,  how bad is the situation, actually?' he said.  Conlin recalled that the pilot had announced that the cockpit had filled with fumes over the intercom and that both pilots had to put on oxygen masks after what seemed to be a standard start to the flight.  The passenger said that a slight smell of jet fuel exhaust was in the cabin, but the landing was smooth.  'Getting off the plane felt amazing because it was just such chaos,' he told the outlet.  'You've got people screaming and yelling and panicking.. You never think it's going to be you, and all of a sudden what should have been a normal flight becomes very, very scary.' Conlin said that, after they returned to the terminal, he and his family safely made it to Orlando.  The Daily Mail reached out to Delta Air Lines and the Federal Aviation Administration for comment.