Plane forced to land after emergency chute inflates at 40,000ft
A plane was forced to do an emergency landing after an evacuation slide inflated inside the cabin while the plane was at almost 40,000 ft.
None of the 96 passengers on board the United Airlines flight from Chicago to Orange County in California was hurt in the unexplained incident.
As the slide burst into the cabin on Sunday, the pilot immediately used the intercom to tell passengers he would land as soon as possible.
There were initial reports that a passenger tried to open a door during the flight but a spokesman for the US Federal Aviation Administration said they were false and it would be "impossible" at that altitude.
The flight left Chicago shortly after 8.30pm local time and landed in Wichita at 10.30pm, where passengers were taken to overnight accommodation and investigators boarded the plane.
A spokesman for United Airlines said maintenance crew would inspect the Boeing 737-700 to determine why the slide inflated, reports the Independent.
He added: "The flight diverted to Wichita, Kansas, after the emergency evacuation slide accidentally deployed. No one was injured and the flight landed safely.
"We are flying in another aircraft to resume the flight and get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible."
Diane
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