Another week, another busted Boeing plane that lost a part mid-flight.
This time, it was a Delta Air Lines flight headed to LAX from JFK Airport this morning, when, about an hour into the flight, the crew and passengers could feel a vibration. They also heard a "very loud sound" coming from near the right wing of the plane. In fact, one person who was "overwhelmed" and "really scared" told NPR the strange noise was so loud, they couldn't hear announcements being made by the crew.
Unsure of what was causing the noise, the flight, carrying 167 passengers, was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing back in New York.
Fortunately, the plane landed safely. And it wasn't until after it reached the gate that officials realized what went wrong: the emergency slide had separated and broken off the aircraft. And as of 3:00pm today, authorities were still searching for the slide.
From NPR:
The Delta spokesperson said the airline "is fully supporting retrieval efforts and will fully cooperate in investigations."
In an earlier statement, Delta said 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."
Delta told NPR that there were no pressurization issues on the aircraft. It said the plane has been removed from service and will be thoroughly evaluated.
See more busted-Boeing posts on Boing Boing here.
