SYRACUSE -- There were some scary moments Tuesday for 28 people onboard a plane departing Hancock Airport when the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.

Hancock Airport spokesperson Chris Reale confirms to CNY Central that a US Airways Express flight encountered some trouble Tuesday morning. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot detected an odor of smoke in the cockpit. The plane returned to Hancock Airport, where it landed safely. The plane was headed from Syracuse to LaGuardia in New York City.

The passengers were safely escorted off the plane. An investigation into what went wrong is now underway, and the electrical system is suspected as the cause.

US Airways spokesman Derek Hanna says the airline was rescheduling passengers.