Mechanical Failure Forces DL127 Flight to Make Emergency Landing in Terceira Island
The DL127 flight from Madrid to New York, with 282 passengers and 13 crew members on board, made an emergency landing on Terceira Island, part of the Azores.
The pilots changed the route by activating protocols due to a mechanical issue in one of the engines. Airline officials announced that the aircraft landed safely at the airbase in Lajes and passengers were evacuated within an hour.
PASSENGERS STRANDED ON THE ISLAND FOR 29 HOURS
Delta stated that accommodation and meal arrangements were made for passengers following the unexpected landing. After spending approximately 29 hours on Terceira Island, passengers were later sent to the US on another allocated aircraft. While details of the aircraft malfunction were not shared, it was noted that a warning from the engine system influenced the landing decision.
HISTORICAL DETAILS OF THE ISLAND DRAW ATTENTION
Terceira Island is part of the Azores, an archipelago belonging to Portugal located in the Atlantic Ocean. The island also hosts a US Air Force base and a cemetery where British and American soldiers who lost their lives during World War II are buried.
Furthermore, Delta Airlines had also made headlines in February of this year with another incident at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada. The aircraft had overturned during landing, with 80 people on board escaping the accident with minor injuries.