Delta Airlines: Flight from New York to Dallas forced to divert to Pittsburgh after pilot reports engine problem

A Delta Airlines was forced to divert yesterday morning (Wednesday 6 March) due to a reported mechanical issue. Flight 534 was heading from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Dallas but had to make a diversion to Pittsburgh International Airport.

The flight reported an issue at around 10am. Officials from Pittsburgh International Airport reported that the plane landed safely and taxied to the gate. Two pilots, three flight attendants and 64 passengers were on board.

Delta Airlines told Channel 11 the plane had a performance issue with one of its jet engines. The airline said in a statement to Channel 11: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people and we apologise to our customers for the delay in their travels. The airline added that its teams are working to get customers to their final destinations as quickly as possible.

The incident comes after a nose wheel fell off a Delta Airlines flight on Saturday 20 January as the aircraft was preparing to take off on the runway at Atlanta's international airport. The incident occurred while 184 passengers were on board. 

A spokesperson for Delta confirmed a "nose gear tire came loose from the landing gear" on the plane scheduled to fly from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The spokesperson told Sky News: “All customers and their bags were removed from the aircraft, transferred to the gate and on to a replacement aircraft. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience.”