According to Action News, the plane carrying FLOTUS and a pool of reporters returned to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Wednesday morning after ten minutes in the air.
Reports from the cabin suggested that Secret Service officers hopped up from their seats and headed towards the front rows, seconds before a thin haze of smoke became clearly visible.
A crew member said the issue stemmed from "a malfunctioning comms unit" that had overheated, but the White House has not confirmed the data.
After mere minutes, the smoke reportedly cleared and the disturbing smell was no longer in the air.
"Minor mechanical issue. Everything is fine and everyone is safe," Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's Communications Director, said in a statement.
The first lady was traveling to Philadelphis as part of her "Be Best" children's welfare campaign, to meet with the families of children who had been exposed to dangerous opioids while still in the womb.