A terrifying second midair has gone viral after passengers held up a panel that collapsed throughout a Delta flight from Atlanta to Chicago final week. The incident, which happened on April 14, is now elevating questions on plane upkeep and airline accountability.
In line with The New York Submit, the alarming footage was shared by TikToker Lucas Michael Payne, who stated the panel fell whereas his buddy was onboard. The video exhibits a bunch of passengers bodily holding the roof panel in place, whereas others look on in disbelief. Payne claims that the flight attendants finally needed to duct tape the panel again into place to maintain it from falling once more.
Delta Airways Responds After Passengers Maintain Up Roof Panel Midair
Because the video racked up hundreds of thousands of views on-line, Delta Airways responded, downplaying the severity of the incident. A spokesperson advised The New York Submit {that a} panel on the Boeing 717 merely “went misplaced” and denied that passengers needed to maintain it manually in the course of the flight.
“The panel turned misaligned however posed no risk to the structural integrity of the plane,” the airline stated.
Nonetheless, social media customers weren’t satisfied. Many commented that even when it wasn’t a “security situation,” passengers having to stabilize elements of the plane themselves is unacceptable. Payne confirmed that flight attendants used duct tape to safe the panel and stated passengers had been supplied 10,000 Delta SkyMiles as compensation for the expertise.
Extra Drama After Passengers Held Up Roof Panel That Collapsed Throughout Delta Flight
The flight didn’t simply include a scare. In line with Payne, after the incident, the aircraft needed to return to Atlanta, forcing passengers to attend hours for a brand new plane earlier than being flown to Chicago. This surprising detour added insult to damage for a lot of who stated they already felt uncomfortable being onboard an plane held collectively — at the least briefly — by its personal prospects and a few tape.
Whereas no accidents had been reported, the state of affairs has sparked on-line conversations about airline security requirements and what passengers are anticipated to tolerate midair.
