- Delta flight DL251 departed from Barcelona at 1541 local time, nearly 30 minutes late, tracking west towards Boston.
- As the aircraft was about to begin its Atlantic crossing, it made a u-turn and proceeded to track south-easterly.
- The crew declared an emergency via the 7700 squawk code and chose to divert to Porto.
- DL251 landed safely into Porto at just before 1800 Zulu time.
- Reason for the emergency is understood to be smoke in the cabin.
- The civil protection service reported that 14 passengers needed help after the plane landed safely, with four taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
- Four passengers were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation but were only 'lightly' affected.
- The aircraft involved in the incident is N824NW, a 11.3 year old Airbus A330-300 that started out life with the airline back in June 2015.
- The flight was carrying 296 passengers when it was diverted to Porto.
Delta flight DL251, an Airbus A330-300, departed Barcelona at 1541 local time, nearly 30 minutes late, and was en route to Boston when it detected smoke in the cabin. The crew declared an emergency and diverted to Porto, landing safely at just before 1800 Zulu time.13
The civil protection service reported that 14 passengers required assistance after the landing, with four taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, though they were described as only “slightly” affected.
The cause of the smoke remains unclear, and the incident has raised concerns about passenger safety on commercial flights. The aircraft, registered as N824NW, is 11.3 years old and has been with Delta since June 2015. The flight was carrying 296 passengers when the emergency was declared, and the crew's quick response ensured a safe landing without further incident.8910
As investigations continue, Delta Air Lines has not yet released a statement regarding the incident, leaving many questions unanswered about the safety protocols in place for such emergencies.
“The aircraft, an 11.3-year-old Airbus A330-300 (N824NW), had 296 passengers aboard when it diverted. Four were hospitalized for smoke inhalation but only 'lightly' affected, while 14 total needed help after landing.”
