A Mesa Airlines flight from Chicago to Jacksonville, Fla., was forced to return to O'Hare International Airport shortly after takeoff because of reports of smoke in the cockpit.

United Airlines spokeswoman Mary Ryan says the plane landed safely and taxied back to the gate, where all 44 passengers got off the aircraft. United Airlines was operating Mesa Air flight 3738.

The Chicago Department of Aviation confirmed there was a standby alert Monday morning for the flight and that the plane landed without incident shortly before 7 a.m.