HELENA, Mont. -- A Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 with 78 people on board developed possible problems with a back-up hydraulic system and returned to the Helena Regional Airport Thursday, officials said.
Airport manager Ron Mercer said the crew was alerted by a warning light that activated at about 13,000 feet, 12 minutes after takeoff on a flight to Salt Lake City.Mercer said the crew decided to return to Helena after several attempts to determine if there was a real problem.
No emergency was declared, but firefighters were alerted, Mercer said.
The passengers were rerouted on other flights Thursday afternoon while Delta mechanics continued inspecting the airplane, he said.
Mercer described the return of a commercial airplane to the Helena airport because of mechanical problems as rare. "I can't remember the last time this happened here," he said.