It was a mistake that cost the company dearly: a flight attendant accidentally deployed a emergency slide on a Boeing 767-300 who had just arrived in Dublin after an overnight flight from Boston.
At around 7.20am on Saturday morning, Delta flight DL155 landed in the Irish capital after an uneventful flight, but after the plane arrived at the gate an emergency slide was inadvertently deployed. Accidental slide deployments, as well as potential damage to ground personnel, cause operational disruptions and can cost thousands of dollars. A 90 minute delay costs more than $11,000and if the flight is canceled and passengers need a hotel, it can cost up to $200,000. The maintenance team must repair the slide, if necessary, and repack it, even if simple repacking costs $12,000.
Delta has confirmed that the right front door emergency slider was accidentally activated during the disarming procedure.
Accidental deployments of slides or ISD, as they are known in the industry, are a regular occurrence. According to aircraft manufacturer Airbus, there are 30 to 40 ISDs each year worldwide, and four out of five occur when the plane arrives.
