The aircraft carrying the Grammy winner and others landed at Van Nuys Airport around 9pm with no immediate reports of injuries, KABC-TV reported.
The plane left Hollywood Burbank Airport with 16 people and flew east but turned around when the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, KABC reported.
The cause of the malfunction was not immediately known.
Karol G won her first Grammy and was named Billboard magazine’s 2024 Woman of the Year in February. The Colombian singer-songwriter is expected to be honoured at the Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 6.