Delta flight lands safely after dumping fuel

A Delta flight made an unscheduled landing shortly after takeoff Sunday morning after a pilot on another flight noticed smoke coming from the airplane’s landing gear.

Taking off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 11:10 a.m. the aircraft returned to make a safe landing at 11:30 a.m., according to a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Airport firefighters inspected the gear after the flight landed.

The aircraft flew at an altitude of 7,000 feet northwest of Atlanta to release fuel before returning to the airport. Pilots who return to an airport soon after departure may dump fuel to make the aircraft lighter before landing. The flight was headed to Narita Airport in Japan.

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