On July 17th, a United 767-300ER on approach into Chicago O’Hare lost its emergency escape slide. Somehow, it separated from the aircraft, registered N666UA. The slide floated down, and landed in someone’s backyard, several miles from the major airport. Residents in the house heard a loud noise, and after discovering the deflated slide, called 911. The homeowner who made the discovery said he dragged the slide from his backyard to the front.

Thirty minutes later, the FAA arrived. They said the maintenance crew at O’Hare had discovered an emergency escape slide missing from a United aircraft. The aircraft was a 767 that had just come in from Zurich, Switzerland as flight UA12. This was the slide in question. As of now, it is still unclear how the slide fell off the plane. Investigation is ongoing.

Interestingly, 767s have lost escape slides before. Once in 2016. near Phoenix Sky Harbor, and more recently near Boston Logan in 2019.