Emergency Slide Falls from United Airlines Plane in Chicago Neighborhood
CHICAGO (WLS) — An investigation is underway after an emergency slide fell out of a United Airlines plane right before it landed at O’Hare International Airport on Monday afternoon. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will try to determine the cause of the incident.
Newly released surveillance footage captured the moment the slide fell from the sky before landing in a neighborhood. The slide originated from a Boeing 767 aircraft that was bound for Chicago from Zurich. Upon impact, it dented a downspout and damaged roof shingles of a house in the 4700 block of North Chester Avenue on the city’s Northwest Side.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. The homeowner, Patrick Devitt, discovered the fallen slide in his backyard and dragged it to the front. Devitt’s son and father-in-law were having lunch inside the house when they heard a loud “boom.” The slide had struck the house, causing damage to the roof, downspout, and a kitchen window screen.
Authorities were promptly notified, and the FAA arrived at the scene within 30 minutes. A United Airlines maintenance crew discovered that an emergency slide was missing from the Boeing 767 shortly after it had landed safely at O’Hare Airport. The slide found in Devitt’s backyard is believed to be the missing one. United Airlines representatives visited the Devitt residence to retrieve the slide.
This is not the first time a Boeing 767 has experienced a slide detachment, although such incidents are rare. Similar incidents occurred in 2016 near Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport and in 2019 near Boston’s Logan Airport.
The investigation into how the slide detached from the plane is still ongoing. DePaul University Professor Joe Schwieterman noted that this incident could trigger major investigations as it is not a routine occurrence and could have potentially caused fatalities on the ground or compromised the airplane’s stability during landing.
Devitt expressed relief that nobody was injured and expressed his astonishment at finding an airplane’s emergency slide in his backyard. Boeing referred all inquiries to United Airlines and the FAA. United Airlines stated that they are working with their team to determine the exact cause of the incident.
Further information from the authorities involved has not yet been provided.