Smoke from cockpit fan prompts plane's return

Southwest flight returns to airport shortly after takeoff without incident

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updated 12:52 p.m. ET July 28, 2008

LINTHICUM, Md. - A Southwest Airlines spokeswoman says smoke from a faulty cockpit fan prompted a flight to return to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport shortly after takeoff Sunday.

Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger says the fan was changed after landing and the flight to Norfolk, Va. was expected to take off again later Sunday afternoon.

BWI spokeswoman Cheryl Stewart originally said the plane returned due to a cockpit fire, but later confirmed smoke from a cockpit fan prompted the return of the plane, which landed without incident.

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Southwest Flight 121 took off at 2:43 p.m. and landed at 2:50 p.m., the airport spokeswoman said. Both spokeswomen said they did not know if the smoke was visible in the passenger cabin.

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