Delta Flight Returns to JFK Airport After Exit Slide Falls Off

A Delta Air Lines flight en route to Los Angeles, California, was forced to return to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City after an emergency equipment malfunction.

Delta Flight 520 had been in the air for 33 minutes before declaring an emergency and returning to JFK airport, according to ABC7NY.

The aircraft landed safely at the airport around 8:35 a.m.

“After the aircraft had safely landed and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft,” the airline said in a statement.

Pilots of the aircraft reportedly heard “vibrations and banging sounds,” which were reported to air traffic control before returning to JFK airport.

“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 for the airline said. “We appreciate their professionalism and our customers’ patience for the delay in their travels.”

There were reportedly 176 passengers, and seven flight crew members, including two pilots and five flight attendants.

Passengers on the Delta flight were placed on another aircraft, which departed around 10:59 a.m.

In June 2023, Flight 520 was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Utah due to technical difficulties. Upon landing, an air slide accidentally deployed, sending a crew member who had been hit by the slide to the hospital.

The aircraft has also reportedly had numerous problems related to the engine, a cracked windshield, and smoke in the cockpit.

Aircraft have an average lifespan of up to 30 years in service before they are retired, according to Flexport.

Once either permanently or temporarily retired, planes sit in an “open-air storage site” in the desert in Texas, New Mexico, California, or Arizona.