Washington:
A recent Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Chicago in the United States became a nightmare for passengers after the ceiling of the plane threatened to collapse mid-flight. Video footage of the incident was shared on social media, showing the detached top of the aircraft hanging as several passengers supported it with their hands to prevent it from falling completely.
A later image from the aircraft showed that the ceiling was secured into its original position with strips of neon yellow tape while the flight returned to Atlanta following the mid-air mishap.
No injuries were reported in the incident that happened on April 14. After the ceiling caved in, the plane was returned to its departure point in Atlanta, where passengers were transferred to another aircraft that flew them to their destination in Chicago.
Delta Air Lines, in a statement given to the New York Post, thanked its customers for their patience and cooperation and apologised for the delay in their travels.
The airline said that Boeing 717’s “panel was later affixed into place so customers did not have to manually hold it during flight,” adding that there were “no injuries” in the incident and the “flight continued with about a two-hour delay on another aircraft.”
Per content creator Lucas Michael Payne, who first posted about the incident on Instagram, Delta offered the affected passengers 10,000 air miles, which is equivalent to around $120 (£90), for the delays during their journey.
Tom Witschy, a 35-year-old Chicago resident who was on the plane at the time of the incident, told People Magazine that shortly after takeoff, there was a loud banging sound and the panel of the roof of the plane came off, crashing down. He said the panel appeared to be hanging on from only the front right corner.
“I grabbed the corner closest to me to keep it from colliding against our row as we were still ascending, and the men across from me and diagonally across did the same,” he added. The flight crew was seated for the ascent at the time of the incident and was unable to assist.
Witschy said the passengers were forced to hold the roof panel for around 30 to 45 minutes before flight attendants could fix it with tape and somewhat remedy the situation.
