Another Boeing tragedy: Delta flight loses exit slide, makes emergency return

Another Boeing aircraft disrupted the flying experience of passengers after a Delta Airlines flight that departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City was forced to make an emergency return to the airport.

The flight had to come back to JFK Airport after an emergency slide came apart. The aircraft in question was Boeing 767 and the authorities are still looking for the slide.

“After the aircraft had safely landed and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to NPR.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a separate statement in which they made it clear that Delta Flight 520 “returned safely to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York around 8:35 am (local time) on Friday, April 26, after the crew reported a vibration. The FAA will investigate.”

The Delta spokesperson also emphasised that the airline is “fully supporting retrieval efforts and will fully cooperate in investigations.”

The aircraft circled the tri-state area and returned to JFK

In a separate statement, the airline authority noted that the flight crew had observed a “flight deck indication related to the right-wing emergency exit slide, as well as a sound from near the right wing.”

The Boeing 767-300 was acquired by the Delta airline back in 1990. In the Friday incident, the aircraft was on its way to the Los Angeles International Airport but had to return to JFK about an hour into the flight.

One of the passengers onboard told NPR that there was a loud sound coming from the place which even made it difficult to hear the announcement.

A Delta flight was forced to return to its departure airport. Source: FlightAware

A Delta flight was forced to return to its departure airport. Source: FlightAware

According to the satellite image shared by FlightAware, the aircraft circled the tristate area before it returned to JFK.

“As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK,” the Delta spokesperson averred.

The airline also noted that the flight crew declared an emergency with air traffic control so that they could receive clearance to return to JFK. The aircraft then landed and proceeded to a gate under its own power.

An old aircraft

It is important to note that an aircraft is generally operable for an average of 30 years before it gets decommissioned. However, the aircraft involved in the Friday incident was 34 years old. According to the FAA, its expiration date was previously set to May 2028.

“We will defer to Delta for comment,” a Boeing spokesperson said. In June last year, the same flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Utah following on-board technical difficulties.