Asiana Airlines flight returns to Los Angeles after smoke reported in cargo area

[LOS ANGELES] An Asiana Airlines flight bound for South Korea returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday after smoke was reported in the cargo section, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles International Airport said.

Asiana Flight 201 head to Seoul landed back at Los Angeles International Airport at about 7:45pm (0245 GMT) after being in the air for about seven hours, according to Flightaware.com.

The flight returned to Los Angeles after the crew alerted the airport that smoke had been reported in the bulkhead or cargo area, LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles said.

When an signal in the cockpit signifying smoke in the cargo section turned on then off the plane's crew decided to turn back to the airport with "safety foremost in mind," an Asiana Airlines spokesman said.

The flight was originally bound for Incheon International Airport with about 353 passengers and crew on board, Ms Castles said.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said he had no information on the incident.

REUTERS