Delta flight bound for Los Angeles makes emergency landing
Delta flight bound for Los Angeles makes emergency landing before crew member is hit by ‘exploding’ airslide after accidentally deploying into plane
- A Delta flight bound for Los Angeles was forced to land in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, where the emergency slide suddenly deployed
- The slide hit a crew member in the head
- The crew member was taken to a local hospital, but is said to have been discharged in the meantime
A Delta flight bound for Los Angeles had to make an emergency landing in Utah, where a crew member was later hit by an “exploding” air slide that went off inside the plane.
The flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport was carrying 168 passengers on Saturday when the pilot announced the plane had technical problems and was due to land in Salt Lake City.
The pilot said the backup system’s temperature instrument was not working, which was necessary for icing.
The plane then landed safely in Salt Lake City while the plane was repaired, and the passengers were allowed back on board a short time later.
But before it could take off again, an inflatable slide at the back of the ship suddenly deployed and hit a crew member in the head.
That crew member was later taken to hospital, the New York Post reports, but would have been fired in the meantime.
A Delta flight bound for Los Angeles was forced to land in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, where the emergency slide suddenly deployed. Pictured is a Delta flight taking off here in Vancouver, Canada
The B767-300 aircraft had departed New York City shortly after 7 p.m. and landed in Utah without incident.
By about 3:00 PM EST, the temperature instrument had been repaired and the aircraft appeared ready for takeoff.
But before it could, unnamed sources told the Post, the flight’s catering crew somehow accidentally deployed the inflatable slide — which promptly hit an unnamed crew member in the head.
One of the passengers on board the plane described the slide as “exploding” inside the vehicle, while another explained that the air slide suddenly inflated after crew members armed the rear door.
As it grew, it forced a panel out the door, hitting the crew member “like an airbag.”
Passengers were again seen exiting the plane looking both annoyed and shocked, the Post reports, before finally being booked onto another plane departing for LA at 6 p.m. EST.
The flight’s catering crew somehow accidentally deployed the inflatable slide – which promptly hit an unnamed crew member in the head. Shown here is an inflatable slide deployed in an airplane in 2003
In a statement, a Delta spokesperson said: “Delta Flight 520, operating from New York-JFK to Los Angeles, has been diverted to Salt Lake City due to a maintenance issue.
On the ground, the carriage of the same aircraft was accidentally activated.
‘To bring our customers to their final destination as quickly and safely as possible, they have been accommodated in a new aircraft.
“We apologize for the delay in their travel plans. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people.’
Passengers were credited 7,500 miles by the airline.