A routine commercial flight took an unexpected detour.
A Delta aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean after experiencing engine trouble, NBC News reported on July 10. The flight, carrying nearly 300 people, ended up staying overnight on the island.
The plane had departed from Madrid on July 6, en route to New York City’s JFK Airport, when the crew received a warning about a possible engine malfunction. As a precaution, the pilots diverted the flight to Lajes, a civil parish on Portugal’s Azores islands.
Delta confirmed the flight had 282 passengers and 13 crew members on board. Once the plane landed safely at Lajes Airport (TER), passengers and staff disembarked using stairs and were taken to local accommodations. According to Delta, they were provided with hotel stays and meals while they waited for the situation to be resolved.
