The Federal Aviation Administration investigates as "Emergency Slide" detaches from United Flight UA12
In a incident involving a United Airlines aircraft originating from Zurich, an inflatable emergency evacuation slide pack was reportedly disengaged, falling from the sky just prior to the aircraft's touchdown at Chicago’s O’Hare International airport.
Following the episode on July 17, United Airlines corroborated local media claims about the sudden dislodging of the slide from the landing aircraft. "In swift response to this unexpected event, we reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) promptly. Meanwhile, our internal teams are also relentlessly examining the root cause of the issue," the airline commented.
The FAA, the national aviation watchdog, also confirmed its ongoing probe into the unusual incident.
Maintenance personnel at O’Hare discovered that a Boeing 767-300 of United Airlines (UAL Flight 12), having just completed a successful journey from Switzerland, had one of its emergency evacuation slides missing. The FAA announced, "We have tracked down the location of the slide to a nearby residential area."
Eyewitness photos circulated on various social media platforms depict law enforcement officers in uniform, collecting the grey-colored material, identified as the slide, from a sidewalk situated on the airport's eastern side. The mechanism of the slide's detachment remains ambiguous at this time, given that such slides are conventionally stored within the aircraft door.
The airline disclosed that flight UA12 was manned by a crew of 10, and was carrying 155 passengers. The airline's fleet includes 37 aircraft of the same model, with ages varying from 20 to 32 years.
