Emergency slide that fell from Delta flight over NYC found. Here's where it ended up.
NEW YORK -- Delta Air Lines said it recovered the emergency slide that fell from a plane minutes after takeoff at John. F. Kennedy International Airport late last week.
The New York City Parks Department said in a statement Monday, "Delta removed a large piece of debris" from a jetty near Beach 131st Street in Queens.
Delta said an emergency exit slide "separated" from a plane departing JFK on Friday morning. According to the FAA, Flight 520 bound for Los Angeles returned "after the crew reported a vibration."
Emergency slide "separated from the aircraft"
Before declaring an emergency, the flight crew said it noticed an indicator light related to the emergency exit over the right wing and heard a sound coming from the area of the wing, according to Delta.
"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. We appreciate their professionalism and our customers' patience for the delay in their travels," Delta said in a statement after the emergency landing. "After the aircraft had safely landed and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft. Delta is fully supporting retrieval efforts and will fully cooperate in investigations."
The Boeing 767 was taken out of service after it landed safely at JFK. The flight's 176 passengers and seven crew members were able to board another plane to Los Angeles.
It's the latest in a series of concerning incidents involving commercial flights in 2024.
In January, an Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing because a window blew out, and in April an engine covering fell of a Boeing jet and struck a Southwest Airlines plane during taking in Denver.
Multiple planes had a close call on the JFK runway days before the emergency slide mishap.