50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

Warning: Boeing 767 slides may deploy spontaneously and land in your front yard

Download: Printable PDF Date: 01 Apr 2016 07:18 (UTC) categories:
Publisher:
Warning: Boeing 767 slides may deploy spontaneously and land in your front yard - Airlines publisher
Dana Ermolenko
Aircraft: Airplanes
Source: Mashable

An emergency slide deployed from an airplane — while it was in the air — and landed in a front yard in Mesa, Arizona, on Wednesday afternoon.

No injuries were reported and the only damage was to a tree.

"It was just a loud bang and then the house actually shook," homeowner Andrea Self told local television station AZ Family. She said smelled something like "sulfur burning" immediately after.

A neighbor called 911 and said they had seen an object falling from an airplane. A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Mashable that the slide came from a Boeing 767.

The aircraft, operated by cargo and passenger charter airline Atlas Air, was flying at 2,800 feet and about to land at Sky Harbor Airport when the right over-the-wing emergency slide deployed. The crew members got a cockpit message saying the slide had deployed, and reported the it to local police upon landing.

In December of last year, the FAA proposed a fix to more than 300 of Boeing's 767s after “multiple reports of uncommanded escape slide inflation.”

According to FAA reports, certain valves on the Boeing 767 needed to be replaced that could cause spontaneous deployment resulting in “injury to passengers and crew, damage to equipment, and the slide becoming unusable in an emergency evacuation.”

The agency gave airlines four years to make the fixes.

Only crew was on board the Atlas Air flight.

"It's definitely a blessing that the damage is a tree and not a person," Self said.

oeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.





Recommended

Powering privacy in Premium Economy - Emirates unveils the world’s first electric Premium Economy seat with full-height privacy screen

Emirates has further strengthened its leadership in cabin innovation with the introduction of the world’s first electrically powered Premium Economy seat, now entering service on the airline&rsq...

BGS begins fueling cooperation with Airest at Kaunas and Riga airports

Baltic Ground Services (BGS), a global provider of ground handling and aircraft fueling services, has initiated cooperation with Airest, taking over into‑plane fueling operations at Kaunas (KUN) and R...

European approval for production organisation PAL-V

PAL‑V has been granted European Production Organisation Approval (POA), completing the dual automotive and aviation certifications required for large‑scale manufacturing. This authorisation enables PA...

30 years, 800 guests and £20,000 raised – Luxaviation UK celebrates at the Aviation Polo Cup 2026

Aviation took the spotlight at Hurtwood Park Polo Club on Saturday, 5 September, where more than 800 guests gathered with Luxaviation UK and Castle Air for the 2026 edition of the Aviation Polo Cup. M...

Android Apps development in Riga, Latvia