The Delta aircraft returned safely to Minneapolis on Aug. 31, allowing all 178 passengers to resume their trip to Orlando on a new flight
NEED TO KNOW
- A Delta flight returned to Minneapolis shortly after takeoff due to a reported medical issue involving the pilot
- The plane landed safely with 178 passengers and seven crew members before a new crew continued the flight to Orlando
- The FAA is investigating the incident, which follows another recent Delta flight diversion for a pilot medical emergency
An aircraft departing Minneapolis was forced to turn around within minutes of takeoff after crew members reported a “potential pilot incapacitation” on board.
Delta Air Lines flight 1208 departed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) at 11:29 a.m. local time on Monday, Aug. 31, per FlightAware. The aircraft, a Boeing 757-300, was scheduled to land in Orlando, Fla., just over three hours later. However, at 11:33 a.m., just four minutes after takeoff, a crew member radioed air traffic control requesting an immediate return to the airport.
“We need to return to the field,” a crew member says in an air traffic control recording obtained by ATC.com. “Nature of the emergency: we have a potential pilot incapacitation… We would like to return immediately.”…