A Delta Airlines flight was forced to return to New York on Friday after an emergency slide over a wing began shortly after takeoff.
The Los Angeles-bound Boeing plane landed safely back at John F. Kennedy Airport around 8.35 a.m.
Delta Airlines reported that the emergency was declared after the cabin crew on Flight 520 observed “flight deck signals related to the right wing emergency exit slide, as well as a non-regular sound coming from near the right wing.” Independent,
The airline said there were 176 passengers, two pilots and five cabin crew on board. The Boeing 767 was headed to Los Angeles International Airport.
Cabin crew “reported vibration,” the Federal Aviation Administration said. The federal agency is investigating the incident.
Delta also confirmed this Independent That the Boeing 767-300ER aircraft has been removed from service.
“Because nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and the public, the Delta flight crew took their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK,” the spokesperson said.
“We appreciate their professionalism and our customers’ patience with travel delays.”
The incident is the latest in a series of issues involving Boeing’s aircraft and the company’s operations under increasing scrutiny. The FAA is currently investigating issues related to tires, cabin pressure and various engine or mechanical issues at the company.
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is unsafe to operate, after an emergency door “burst” on an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this year, a whistleblower told a congressional hearing last week. On Sunday, a Boeing 737 had to make an emergency landing in South Africa after a rear wheel burst during takeoff.
The company’s CEO and two other executives announced their resignations at the end of March, while on Thursday it announced a loss of $355 million for the first quarter as repairs and safety concerns are prioritized.
Independent Boeing was asked for a statement on this latest incident, but the company said it would defer the case to Delta Airlines, stating only that the plane was 33 years old.
