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Atlanta (UPI) — A Delta flight experienced a harrowing emergency landing back in February after an engine malfunction, and now we have some more details. The National Transportation Safety Board announced Wednesday that Delta Flight 876, bound for South Carolina, had to make the quick return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport due to a frightening engine issue: no oil.
Shortly after takeoff on February 24, the Boeing 717-200 began filling with smoke, visible to both flight attendants and the pilots. Flight attendants reported smoke billowing through vents and a door, so thick they couldn’t see past the first row.
Pilots noticed smoke rising through the cockpit floor. Alarms blared for both smoke and low oil pressure in the right engine.
Talk about a stressful situation!
The pilots, facing not one, but two major issues, shut down the failing engine and, battling poor visibility due to the thick smoke, managed to execute an emergency landing. A swift evacuation followed, with two passengers sustaining minor injuries.
Post-landing inspections revealed the unsettling truth: the right engine was completely devoid of oil, pointing to a major failure in the Rolls-Royce engine. Thankfully, the plane, carrying 94 passengers and five crew members, landed safely. The investigation, involving the NTSB and FAA, is still ongoing.