Some Boeing jets, operated by major US carriers, are plagued with persistent issues that concern travelers, prompting a shift toward what is perceived as safer Airbus jets. It appears that hardly a week passes without a new problem with a Boeing jet.
The latest near-mid-air disaster occurred Friday morning on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300, departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. An emergency slide separated from the plane during flight.
Breaking Aviation News & Videos posted an image of Delta Flight 520's "right-hand side emergency slide" compartment just above the wing. The compartment is wide open and missing the slide, and a fuselage panel appears to have partially separated from the plane.
Delta Airlines 767-332ER makes emergency return to John F. Kennedy International Airport after losing its right-hand side emergency slide. pic.twitter.com/NHPJCQHgcc
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 26, 2024
"After the aircraft had safely landed and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft," a Delta spokesperson told NPR News late Friday afternoon.
The FAA told the media outlet that Delta Flight 520 "returned safely to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York around 8:35 a.m. local time on Friday, April 26, after the crew reported a vibration," noting, "FAA will investigate."
A Delta Flight 520 passenger said a "very loud sound was coming from the plane, which made it difficult to hear announcements coming from the cockpit."
Flight tracking website FlightAware shows Delta Flight 520 returned to JFK after the mid-air incident.
Trouble at Boeing comes as a doom-loop of endless crises. Earlier this year, a door plug separated from a jet, a landing gear collapsed, engine fires occurred, a fuselage panel separated, multiple tires separated, hydraulic leaks, and pilot seat malfunctions. These incidents have sparked a confidence crisis in the planemaker.
In markets, Boeing shares tumbled to a 1.5-year low this week as Moody's Ratings downgraded the planemaker's credit rating to Baa3 from Baa2 - just one notch above 'junk' status - with mounting headwinds plaguing its Commercial Airlines unit.
Boeing is an absolute mess.
