A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was forced to return to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport (JFK) when the aircraft’s emergency slide fell from the aircraft shortly after takeoff.
The incident occurred on April 26, 2024. Flight DL 529 was on time, departing JFK Airport at around 07:32 local time.
Shortly after takeoff, the crew reported vibrations and a loud banging sound.
Delta Air Lines told The Independent that cabin crew noticed a “flight deck indication related to the right wing emergency exit slide, as well as a non-routine sound from near the right wing.”
“After the aircraft had safely landed and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft,” Delta said.
The cause of the slide disengagement is still being investigated by the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The flight was forced to declare an emergency and landed back at JFK at 08:35 local time without further incident.
All 176 passengers, five flight attendants and two pilots onboard the flight were safe.
The aircraft, with registration N176DN, was manufactured in 1990.
While incidents like these are rare, it is not the first time an emergency slide has fallen off a B767. In July 2023, maintenance workers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) discovered that an emergency slide was missing from a United Airlines Boeing 767 that had just arrived from a nine-hour flight from Zurich Airport (ZRH).
The slide was later found in a residential area in Chicago.