Honolulu-bound flight turns back to Seattle airport after fumes enter cockpit

Alex Halverson, The Seattle Times on Dec 31, 2024

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A Hawaiian Airlines flight headed toward Honolulu from Seattle turned around shortly after takeoff Monday because the crew reported fumes in the cockpit of the Airbus A330.

At around 1 p.m. PST, Hawaiian Airlines Flight 21 landed safely back at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the FAA’s website. The agency is investigating the incident.

The FAA initially reported that smoke had entered the cockpit. Hawaiian Airlines said the smoke was not visible and clarified it was fumes.

“The captain declared an emergency to obtain priority handling and the Airbus A330 landed at SEA without incident,” Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Marissa Villegas said in an emailed statement. “As a precaution, medical and fire personnel met the aircraft at the gate, and all 273 passengers and 10 crew members deplaned safely.”

Flight 21 took off successfully Tuesday morning on a new aircraft, Villegas said. Guests were offered hotel rooms, meals, compensation and earlier available flights to Honolulu.

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

The A330 underwent a thorough inspection after it landed in Seattle, according to Hawaiian.

Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in September. The two airlines are in the process of combining their operations.

The incident came less than a week after four crew members and a passenger were injured during severe turbulence on an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Phoenix. The FAA is also investigating that Thursday flight, which involved a Boeing 737 MAX 9.

The four crew members were hospitalized, and the passenger was treated at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport but not hospitalized.

Alaska said it’s not providing details or updates about the crew members’ hospitalizations to protect their privacy. The union representing Alaska’s flight attendants also did not provide details or updates about the crew members.

The Alaska flight encountered turbulence around 1:30 p.m. and eventually landed safely at around 2:10 p.m. in Phoenix, according to Alaska.

Less than a week before the flight to Phoenix, an Alaska passenger opened the emergency exit of a Boeing 737-900 at a Sea-Tac terminal just after it arrived from Milwaukee, according to a report by KOMO.

As passengers were walking off the plane, the woman became anxious and opened the emergency exit. She then walked onto the wing of the plane before emergency responders helped her down and sent her to a hospital for evaluation, KOMO reported.