Paris-bound Air France flight returned to Seattle

An Air France flight that departed from Seattle at 2:03 p.m. today and was scheduled to arrive in Paris Friday morning has returned to Seattle.

The plane landed at Sea-Tac at 7 p.m., said Perry Cooper, spokesman for the airport.

Flight 49 from Sea-Tac to Charles de Gaulle airport experienced a "technical incident," forcing a change in itinerary, according to the airline's Web site.

"The pilot has not declared an emergency, and there was not an emergency landing," Cooper said.

The plane was diverted when it was over Canada, several hours into the flight, he said.

Cooper said earlier that he did not know details about the mechanical problem but that the plane may need to be towed to the gate once it lands. He said passengers will probably remain on the plane while repairs are made, unless the engineers find a bigger problem than anticipated.

The flight will likely resume immediately after repairs, Cooper said.

Air France could not be reached for comment.

Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321 or nclark@seattletimes.com