Delta flight makes emergency return after exit slide separates from plane: NPR

A Delta Air Lines flight departing from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport was forced to make an emergency return to the airport Friday morning after an emergency slide came loose from the Boeing 767, the airline said. A search of the slide was underway.

“After the aircraft landed safely and proceeded to a gate, the emergency slide was observed to have separated from the aircraft,” a spokesperson for Delta in a statement to NPR Friday afternoon.

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said Delta Flight 520 “returned safely to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport at approximately 8:35 a.m. local time on Friday, April 26, after the crew reported a vibration. The FAA will investigate.

Delta’s spokesperson said the airline “fully supports recovery efforts and would fully cooperate with investigations.”

In an earlier statement, Delta said the flight crew observed “an indication in the cockpit related to the right wing emergency exit slide, as well as a noise coming from near the right wing “.

The plane, a Boeing 767-300 delivered to Delta in 1990, was en route to Los Angeles International Airport, but had to return to JFK about an hour into the flight, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking site.

A passenger who was on board the flight and did not wish to be identified while still in transit told NPR that there was a very loud noise coming from the plane, making it difficult to hear announcements coming from the cockpit.

The passenger told NPR that they felt “overwhelmed” and “really scared” by the experience.

According to FlightAware footage, the plane circled the tri-state area before returning to JFK.

“As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and associates, Delta crews underwent extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK,” Delta said in its initial statement to NPR. The airline said the flight crew declared an emergency with air traffic control to receive clearance to return to JFK. The plane then landed safely and made its way to a gate under its own power, he added.

Delta told NPR there were no pressurization issues on the plane. He said the plane had been removed from service and would undergo further evaluation.

An aircraft is typically operational for an average of 30 years before being retired, according to Flexport, a global logistics flow company. The plane involved in Friday’s incident is about 34 years old and had an expiration date previously of May 2028, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

“We defer to Delta for comment,” a Boeing spokesperson said.

In June of last year, the same flight, Flight 520 from JFK to LAX on a Boeing 767-300, was forced to make an emergency landing in Utah following technical difficulties on board.