Delta Air Lines faced an unexpected incident on Thursday when crew members accidentally deployed an emergency slide, leading to the cancellation of a flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The mishap occurred on a Boeing 767 aircraft, causing significant damage and leaving passengers with disrupted travel plans.
Delta Flight 419, originally scheduled to depart for Honolulu, experienced complications when its emergency slide was inadvertently deployed by the flight crew. This action resulted in damage to the aircraft, leaving it unfit for immediate travel. As the crew timed out before repairs could be completed, Delta made the difficult decision to cancel the flight.
Passengers expecting to reach their final destinations faced a series of delays. A passenger, who opted to remain anonymous, reported the incident to CNN, sharing a photo of the deployed slide. The passenger noted the frustration of the situation but praised the professionalism of the gate agents, stating:
"I will say that while this was extremely frustrating the gate agents were wonderful handing a really crappy situation," – An unnamed passenger
The aircraft involved was initially scheduled as a Boeing 757 but was later switched to a Boeing 767 for this particular flight. Despite the change in aircraft, the unfortunate deployment of the emergency slide disrupted plans, leading to a challenging day for both passengers and airline staff.
In light of the cancellations, Delta took swift action to reaccommodate affected passengers. Some were rebooked on alternative flights, including an Alaska Airlines flight scheduled for Friday. Delta also issued an apology to customers for the inconvenience caused by the incident and remained committed to ensuring passengers reached their destinations.
"Flight 419 from Seattle to Honolulu was canceled due to damage to the aircraft before boarding," – A Delta spokesperson
On that day, Delta faced operational challenges across its network, canceling 2% of its flights and delaying 21% due to various issues. The incident with Flight 419 contributed to this disruption, further impacting the airline's performance metrics.
