NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A Delta flight to Los Angeles from John F. Kennedy International Airport was forced to return shortly after takeoff on Friday morning when an emergency slide detached from the aircraft mid-air, officials confirmed.
Delta Airlines Flight 520, which left Queens at around 7:30 a.m., declared an emergency about 30 minutes after takeoff when the crew felt a vibration, according to the FAA.
The crew of the flight noticed a warning signal from the right wing's emergency exit slide and heard an unusual sound near the right wing, according to Delta. They declared an emergency to get priority clearance to return to JFK Airport.
The pilots of the flight then reported the vibrations and banging sounds to air traffic control, Delta said.
The plane landed safely at around 8:30 a.m. to JFK Airport and was able to taxi to the gate on its own power.
After landing safely and taxiing to the gate, it was discovered that the emergency slide had detached from the aircraft. Delta is actively involved in recovering the slide and will cooperate fully with the investigation.
The plane, a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft was carrying 176 passengers, two pilots, and five flight attendants, according to the FAA.
Delta stated that the aircraft has been removed from service and Delta teams will conduct a thorough evaluation.
“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,” a spokesperson from Delta said in a statement. “We appreciate their professionalism and our customers’ patience for the delay in their travels.”
After the flight returned to JFK, the passengers were moved to a different plane, which then departed at around 11 a.m.
The FAA will investigate the incident, a spokesperson confirmed.