SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- An Hawaiian Airlines flight headed toward Honolulu from Seattle turned around shortly after takeoff on Monday because the crew reported smoke in the cockpit of the Airbus A330, The Seattle Times reported Tuesday, citing the Federal Aviation Administration.
At around 1 p.m. Monday Pacific Standard Time, Hawaiian Airlines Flight 21 landed safely back at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the FAA's website. The agency is investigating the incident.
Hawaiian Airlines said the smoke was not visible and characterized it as fumes.
"The captain declared an emergency to obtain priority handling and the Airbus A330 landed at SEA without incident," Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Marissa Villegas said in a statement. "As a precaution, medical and fire personnel met the aircraft at the gate, and all 273 passengers and 10 crew members deplaned safely."
Flight 21 took off successfully Tuesday morning on a new aircraft, Villegas said.
SeaTac-based Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in September. The two airlines are in the process of combining their operations, according to The Seattle Times' report.
