NEW YORK –
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines plane shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Delta said that after takeoff the pilots received an alert about the emergency slide on the right side of the plane and heard an unusual sound coming from that area of the Boeing 767 plane, which is listed as manufactured in 1990.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a vibration.
The pilots declared an emergency so the flight could be quickly routed back to the airport, and the plane landed and taxied to a gate under its own power, according to the airline.
On board the flight, which was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles, there were 176 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants. Delta said it would send passengers to another plane bound for California.
Delta said the plane was removed from service for evaluation and that it was cooperating with investigators and supporting efforts to find the slide.
“As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews implemented their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK,” the airline said in a statement.