Flight from Atlanta to Delta Los Angeles It was forced to make an emergency landing after smoke filled the cabin and passengers thought ‘this is the end’.
Delta Flight 2846 made an emergency landing in Albuquerque on Tuesday after mysterious smoke filled both the passenger compartment and the cockpit.
In an in-flight video, smoke filled the front of the cabin and passenger and podcaster Gary Vaughn said he could only see “a few rows” in front of him.
“I knew something catastrophic was happening,” he said on his podcast.
“Everybody was crying, everybody was screaming, everybody basically thought the engines had shut down. And you could hear that we were just kind of sliding… we were still pretty stable. There was no turbulence, there was nothing.”
The pilot told the 193 passengers they had “lost oil pressure in the right engine” and “lost all power”.
Throughout the process, Vaughn said, four flight attendants stood up and handed out water to passengers.
“The pilot had full control of the plane. “I don’t think I ever lost control of the plane,” Vaughn said.
“People screaming and crying definitely thought it was the end,” he said. ‘It was frustrating at best. When you watch movies and see all the crazy crying and screaming and hear that kind of stuff, that’s exactly what happens.’
The pilot of the plane reportedly told Vaughn that the smoke was coming from the engine because there was no oil.
Delta Flight 2846 made an emergency landing in Albuquerque on Tuesday after mysterious smoke filled both the passenger compartment and the cockpit.
Passenger video shows the horrific scene as smoke billows towards the back of the plane, becoming heavier towards the front as the alarm sounds.
Fellow passenger Mason Weiner said on Twitter that the smoke was coming from “burnt oil” in the engine. Another passenger, who goes by Queen Rainey Reigns on Facebook, also claimed that flight crew told passengers the engine was out of oil and the plane was “decreasing in altitude”.
Delta has not released an official cause of the smoke. DailyMail.com has reached out for comment.
According to FAA Public Affairs Officer Donnell Evans, the pilots were able to land safely at the Albuquerque International Sunport.
Passengers Gary Vaughn (left) and Queen Rainey Reigns (right) were both on the flight. Describing the moment as in a movie, Vaughn said, “Now when I watch disaster movies, I’m completely terrified.” Rainey agreed, saying she was “scared” and thought to herself, “Oh my God, am I going to make it?”
Another passenger, Mason Weiner, said the pilots landed the plane “smoothly” and were “amazing.”
“The crew was amazing and made everything as smooth as possible on the emergency landing in #Albuquerque,” Weiner said.
Various videos posted online by passengers show an eerie-looking cabin filled with light smoke, with a significantly heavier plume toward the front of the plane.
A piercing emergency alarm blared incessantly as the passengers sat quietly.
As the plane touched down on the runway, Vaughan’s video shows a flight crew member telling passengers to “keep your seat belts on” while fire crews check the plane before taking it to the gate.
Rainey also said the plane started smoking while over Texas.
“Y’all, it’s been a day,” Rainey said. ‘So we [were] fly, we [were] On the plane over Texas, it started to smoke in the air and inside our plane. The fire alarm goes off, it sounds like a house when there is a lot of smoke…
“The plane is just smoking inside,” Rainey, who fell asleep on the flight, said in a Facebook Story. ‘What can you do 36,000 feet in the air in a smoking plane? You just sit there and pray for the best. This is what it all comes down to.
‘You just have to talk your way through and validate the path you’re on, and that’s what I had to do.
The flight path shows that the plane took off from Atlanta and landed in Albuquerque
The pilots (pictured) were able to land safely at the Albuquerque International Sunport. The FAA is investigating the incident
“It was an experience,” he said. ‘I was scared, I was terrified. It was the second scariest thing that ever happened in my life… it was a moment of: Oh my God, am I going to make it?’
The plane landed safely, and journalist Mark Johnson posted a video of the pilots thanking them for getting them to Albuquerque.
The FAA is investigating the incident and 193 passengers were diverted to LAX on a later flight.
Delta Airlines said in a statement to DailyMail.com: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and crew.”
Delta maintenance personnel are investigating the aircraft’s malfunction.
“Delta did a great job,” Vaughn said. “I think their flight crew was great, they calmed everyone down.”
Vaughn said Delta offered them a $150 flight credit, but after their experience, he doesn’t think it’s enough.
“When I watch disaster movies now, I’m totally terrified,” he said. ‘It was crazy.’
