A United Airlines Boeing 767-300 lost an emergency evacuation slide shortly before landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on Monday. No problems were experienced in flight and the missing equipment was discovered by a maintenance crew after the aircraft landed. The slide itself was found in a neighborhood approximately four miles east of ORD when Chicago police were called to the site.
“We immediately contacted the FAA and are working with our team to better understand the circumstances around this matter,” United said.
No injuries have been reported and the slide has been retrieved. A nearby house reportedly sustained minor damage when the slide came down in the backyard. The aircraft, United Flight 12, was travelling to ORD from Switzerland’s Zurich Airport (ZRH) with 10 crew members and 155 passengers onboard. The FAA is investigating the incident.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
Could someone with airliner experience explain how a slide can be “lost” without opeining the cabin door? I always assumed the emergency slides were interior to the pressure vessel, and thought they required a door to be open to be deployed.
THx.
It’s confusing me too. Unless they are in a compartment under the doors on a 767.
According to TV media accounts, it was an over the Wing emergency evac slide and it apparently is the 3rd time that a 767 has had them deploy and depart the aircraft while in flight since at least 2015. An Atlas Air 767 had one of their over the Wing Emergency slides depart the aircraft andcland in a Sky Harbor Phoenix Arizona neighborhood back in
Continued >>>> December of 2015 and since early 2016 and supposedly the FAA had sent out either a Mx Service Alert with Boeing to operators about the issue which apparently stems from needed alterations in certain check valves that are part of the system that deploys these over the Wing Emergency slides or similar.
There might have even been an AD issued; regarding the inflight departures of the over the wing emergency slides on the 76, but that I am not certain, but I do believe that the FAA / Boeing had given a ” suggested timeline of compliance to fix/ modify / alter the system ” to ensure no further occurrences, of late in 2020.
I have no idea if the UA ship involved here in this latest incident had been ” checked, or modified or altered.”
Thanks for the explanation… I was stunned too…
Overwing slides are in compartments outside the cabin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsnAlNpkNuw
Very helpful little video, thank you!
Well dont let the Secret Service investigate…………not that the FAA is much better.
“Hey kids, check out this new inflatable trampoline!”
It’s good that the slide did not get fouled in the tail and damage or jam the controls.
Good thing it wasn’t a rapidly and involuntarily decompressed foreign spy balloon that came down or there would have been certain death and destruction on the ground.