According to View From The Wing, the incident occurred on July 25. Delta flight DL9923 departed from New York-JFK airport (USA) to Accra airport (Ghana) flew over the Atlantic but had to turn back.
The flight was delayed the day before departure. The cause was said to be a health issue with the pilot. However, the return flight was not as smooth. After about 2 hours and 30 minutes of flying over the Atlantic, the captain announced that the Boeing 767 had a fuel problem and had to return to New York.
A Delta plane had to turn back in the middle of the Atlantic due to fuel problems. Photo: View From The Wing
A flight attendant told passengers the plane had a fuel leak. Some passengers believe the airline knew about the problem because staff had checked inside the cabin before departure.
Xiaomanyc, a traveler on the flight, said he had a terrifying experience.
"It was terrifying to know that the plane could run out of fuel even in the middle of the ocean. We were told it would take about two hours to get back to New York," he said.
The plane eventually made it back to New York safely. The entire journey from departure to return took about five hours. As soon as the plane landed, fire trucks and ambulances were on hand to deal with the incident.
The captain confirmed that the incident was caused by a "fuel imbalance". Meanwhile, the airline also issued an official statement on the incident.
"Flight DL9923 on July 25, registered from JFK (New York) to Accra, returned to New JFK due to a technical issue. The aircraft landed safely and no customers were injured. The safety and security of Delta's passengers and crew is our number one priority.
Delta's customer support teams at JFK were immediately on hand to assist affected customers. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and delays that may have impacted our customers' schedules," the airline said in a statement.
