Kit Roberts
Passengers on an airliner were left shocked after an emergency slide deployed inside the aircraft.
Flying is unpleasant at the best of times. Whether it's the cramped seating, recycled air, or the absolute terror of hurtling through the sky at 500mph in a metal tube powered by dead dinosaurs, flying can be pretty stressful.
But passengers on one flight got more than they bargained for when one of the escape slides deployed inside the aircraft, while it was flying.
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The slides are designed to deploy after a plane makes an emergency landing. They inflate from the doors of the plane, to allow passengers to slide down them and exit the aircraft safely. If the plane lands on water and survives the impact they can also detach and serve as dinghies. Neat.
However, it's not quite so good when the slides inflate inside the cabin. The problem is, they're rather bulky and take up quite a bit of space once they inflate.
But that's exactly what happened on a flight from John F. Kennedy Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. The plane was diverted to Salt Lake City, though Delta Airlines has said that the diversion was not caused by the emergency slide deploying. Delta Airlines has said that the flight, which had 168 people on board, was diverted due to a maintenance issue.
A member of the plane's crew was taken to hospital for evaluation, and was later discharged. Passengers subsequently completed their journey on a separate flight.
One passenger tweeted: "First time seeing an emergency slide deployed by accident INSIDE the plane."
An image taken inside the cabin shows part of the cabin blocked off by the slide, which can be seen crumpled up inside the fuselage.
The slides are designed to automatically deploy if the aircraft doors are opened while in the 'armed' position. In an emergency, the slides can be used to exit a plane quickly, as the doors are often quite far from the ground.
It's not clear exactly why the slide deployed on this occasion.
It must have been quite a sight to see the slide inflating inside!
In May 2023, a man from South Korea left passengers terrified after opening the aircraft door while it was still flying.Video footage from the incident shows terrified passengers bracing themselves as air rushes into the cabin.
Flying might be an everyday way to get around these days, but it can still be a less than pleasant experience.