A Delta flight was forced to make an emergency return to New York City early Friday after an emergency slide came apart from the Boeing 767 aircraft, the National Public Radio reported.
The aircraft, which had 183 people on board, returned safely to John F. Kennedy International Airport after about an hour into the flight. A search for the slide was ongoing, said the report.
"After the aircraft had safely landed and proceeded to a gate, it was observed that the emergency slide had separated from the aircraft," said the NPR, citing a statement by a Delta spokesperson.
The airline "is fully supporting retrieval efforts and will fully cooperate in investigations," according to the Delta spokesperson.
Delta said in an earlier statement that the flight crew had observed a "flight deck indication related to the right wing emergency exit slide, as well as a sound from near the right wing," said the NPR report.