The Upsetting Thing That Happens When A Plane Accidentally Deploys Its Emergency Slide

We all like to think of ourselves as responsible fliers, dutifully following instructions to keep ourselves and other passengers safe. But admit it, as your eyes glance at the in-flight safety card illustrations of the emergency slides jutting out of an airplane, you wonder how cool it'd be to careen down the thing while shouting "Weeeeeeee!" Seems like fun, right? Maybe not. In reality, the ensuing mess will upset you and your fellow passengers, leading to delays, upended schedules, and costing the airline a pretty penny along the way. (The slides are also one of the main reasons flight attendants take note of your shoes.)

Passengers aboard a Delta Airlines flight in Pittsburgh discovered the downsides of a deployed emergency slide firsthand after a flight attendant accidentally set one off. The 26-year veteran attendant raised the door handle after the slide system was armed, just as the plane was preparing to depart. The slide inflated in a matter of seconds, like it's supposed to, but was jammed against the jet bridge, effectively trapping flyers inside the plane. The aircraft's October 25 flight from Pittsburgh International Airport to Salt Lake City ended up canceled, with passengers leaving later that same evening or even the next morning.

Passengers and crew aboard the flight should consider themselves lucky, as the slide didn't land on an unsuspecting crew member outside. That didn't comfort passengers aboard the flight, though. "The flight attendant accidentally triggered the emergency slide. Everyone's entire night just became a cluster f—," passenger and Reddit user SF-Coyote wrote, while adding that the "flustered" flight attendant was apologizing profusely.

Known as an "Inadvertent Slide Deployment" or ISDs in professional jargon, such gaffes create more than a bizarre reason for a flight delay. Though rare, the incidents happen regardless of flight attendants performing a "cross-check." According to data from Airbus, which only covers its own aircraft, up to 40 ISDs happen per year. Each ISD triggers a series of protocols designed to maximize passenger safety and get the plane ready to fly again. The slide must be replaced, if possible (running jet engines have gobbled up inflated slides in the past, costing the airline $650,000). In the case of the Delta Airlines flight from Pittsburgh, the slide's removal took about an hour alone, according to the Reddit user aboard the flight.

A slide deployment also comes with a hefty price tag. Repacking the inflatable toboggan might seem rudimentary and cheap, but such specialized equipment costs about $12,000 to bring back into working order, according to aviation info site simpleflying.com. Replacing the slides, if necessary, can set airlines back as much as $45,000, and sometimes even more, depending on the model and manufacturer. The cost of an ISD balloons when airlines start paying for flight rebookings and hotels for passengers who suddenly must overnight. The entire incident can cost an airline close to $200,000, according to simpleflying.com.

Upset flight attendants have, on more than one occasion, deployed the emergency slides and slid off the plane, often in a fit of anger. Lest your inner child still find all of this exciting, know that the Delta flight's passengers were not allowed to disembark using the slide. "That would be fun," SF-Coyote wrote when asked if he slid off the plane." They specifically said that would be a bigger trouble."