KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — A Firefly flight heading to Penang was forced to return to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang after the air conditioning system overheated today, resulting in smoke filling the cabin.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed that the aircraft, registered as 9M-FYG, experienced defects that necessitated the return, according to a report published in the New Straits Times today.

CAAM’s chief executive officer, Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud, said that a preliminary report indicated the flight encountered an extraction fan failure shortly after takeoff.

"According to the pilot report (PIREP), the fan failure had caused the air-conditioning system in the flight to get overheated, which then caused smoke fogging in the cabin area,” he said.

Norazman added that there might be additional defects on the flight that are currently under investigation.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and passengers were safely evacuated to the terminal at SAAS airport.

A passenger, Harrell Erik Wong, recorded a video showing smoke filling the cabin and shared his experience of the flight turning back just 15 minutes after takeoff.