Delta Air Lines Flight Diverted After Fumes Fill Cockpit

A Delta Airlines flight leaving London bound for Boston had to make an emergency diversion Sunday after fumes filled the cockpit.

According to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, Delta flight DL-59 left London's Heathrow Airport around 10 a.m. Sunday and was in the process of flying into cruising altitude when the problem occurred. The reported fumes led to the plane turning back and returning to Heathrow.

"Once on the ground, the plane was surrounded by airport vehicles, and fire officials boarded the aircraft before passengers were eventually sent in buses to the airport terminal," writes Paddle Your Own Kanoo's Mateusz Maszczynski.

"There are reports that ‘fumes’ were detected in the cockpit, which would normally require the pilots to don special breathing apparatus before making preparations for an immediate diversion."

Delta responds to incident

In a statement, a Delta spokesperson confirmed the diversion was due to "reports of smoke" inside the plane, adding that the flight was scheduled to operate as usual on Monday.

“Delta flight 59 from LHR to BOS on October 5 landed safely after returning to LHR due to reports of smoke in the aircraft," the statement reads.

“The flight will operate tomorrow, and Delta’s customer team is assisting customers with accommodations and rebooking. We apologize to our customers for the delay, but safety for our customers and crew will always be Delta’s top priority.”

Delta in process of making engine changes

Sunday's incident comes shortly after reports that Delta is replacing engines in more than 300 of its Airbus following multiple complaints about toxic fumes contaminating aircrafts and sickening crew members and passengers.

The airline is swapping out auxiliary power units (APUs), which are located in the back of the plane and provide electricity and cabin air when the main engine is not running. They do not have anything to do with the actual flying of the aircraft.

"Faulty APUs can leak oil into the plane’s airflow system, allowing toxic fumes and odors to spread through the cabin, potentially even when the units aren’t running," said Fox News Digital.