Fumes in the cockpit prompts Hawaiian flight’s return to Seattle

SEATTLE– According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Hawaiian Airlines flight bound for Honolulu was forced to return to Seattle airport shortly after takeoff due to reports of fumes in the cockpit.

The agency previously said the crew reported smoke in the cockpit, but later changed that to fumes.

Hawaiian Airlines Flight 21, an Airbus A330, took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday around 1 p.m. with 273 passengers and 10 crew members on board.

The plane was en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu when the crew reported the fumes, aviation spokeswoman Marissa Villegas told The Associated Press in an email.

“The captain declared a state of emergency to obtain priority handling and the Airbus A330 landed at SEA without incident,” Villegas said, and fire and medical personnel met the aircraft at the gate as a precaution and everyone on board disembarked safely.

After the plane was cleared, the Port of Seattle Fire Department went on board to investigate and found no smoke or odor, airport spokesman Perry Cooper said via email.

Flight 21 left Seattle on a new plane Tuesday morning, Villegas said.

“Safety is our priority and we sincerely apologize for this event,” she said.

The FAA is investigating.