Delta Air Lines had to cancel a scheduled flight from Seattle to Honolulu on Thursday after an unexpected incident involving the accidental deployment of an emergency slide by the crew.
The incident occurred on Delta Flight 419, which was initially set to travel from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The mishap led to significant damage to a Boeing 767, necessitating the cancellation of the flight as the crew members timed out before the necessary repairs could be completed.
A Delta spokesperson elaborated on the situation, stating, “Flight 419 from Seattle to Honolulu was canceled due to damage to the aircraft before boarding. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience caused, and we have reaccommodated the affected passengers on other flights to their final destinations today.”
The disruption began with a series of delays that prompted a change of aircraft, from a Boeing 757 to a 767, which required new seat assignments for passengers. One passenger, who chose to remain anonymous, captured a photo of the incident and shared it with CNN, describing the sequence of events that led to the slide’s accidental deployment just before boarding was to commence.
Following the deployment, there was an attempt to find a replacement slide. “At that point, they said they were going to see if they had a replacement slide and … after waiting another hour and a half, they told us they didn’t, and the flight was cancelled,” the passenger recounted.
This passenger was among those rebooked on an Alaska Airlines flight scheduled for the following day, Friday. Despite the frustration, the passenger commended the Delta gate agents for their exceptional handling of the situation. “I will say that while this was extremely frustrating, the gate agents were wonderful in handling a really crappy situation,” they added.
The incident on Thursday contributed to a broader operational disruption for Delta, as FlightAware’s data indicated that the airline canceled 2% of its flights and delayed another 21% on the same day. This incident highlights the challenges airlines face in maintaining schedules amidst unexpected technical difficulties and the importance of efficient, responsive customer service in managing passenger inconveniences.