Delta Air Lines Flight 5860 flying from Portland International Jetport to LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Saturday afternoon declared an emergency and returned to the Jetport a few minutes after takeoff.
An alert from Maine first responders at roughly 1:30 p.m. said a sensor in the aircraft detected smoke in the cockpit, triggering the emergency landing. Seventy-eight people — 74 passengers and four crew members — were aboard and landed safely, according to a second alert minutes later.
Airport rescue called for a full emergency response. The Portland Fire Department’s aircraft rescue and firefighting team evaluated the plane upon its landing and found that the sensor had gone off due to an electrical issue, according to Lt. Matthew Hawkes. Any smoke had cleared by the time the craft returned to the ground.
The aircraft was then taxied to the gate and deplaned using the passenger boarding bridge, Assistant Airport Director Zach Sundquist wrote in a news release.
Jon Austin, a spokesman for Republic Airways, which operates regional flights for Delta, said the passengers will reach their destination in a replacement aircraft today. Mechanics are working on the initial plane.