Delta 767 Engine Failure Forces Salt Lake City Diversion

Unexpected Diversion and Quick Recovery

Last week, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 flying from New York JFK Airport to Los Angeles International (LAX) had to make an unexpected diversion to Salt Lake City (SLC) in Utah. The crew was forced to shut down one of the aircraft’s engines mid-flight, which led to the plane being grounded for about a day and a half. Despite this disruption, the aircraft eventually returned to service and has since been operating a variety of domestic and international flights. This incident highlights the resilience and versatility of the Boeing 767-300ER in Delta Air Lines’ fleet, even as it ages.

A Routine Flight Turned Unusual

Delta Air Lines flight DL365 is a regularly scheduled commercial passenger flight that departs from New York every day at 17:00 local time. It is bound for Los Angeles International Airport, where it is expected to arrive at 20:34. The planned block time for this route is six hours and 34 minutes. However, on September 10, the flight took an unexpected turn when a reported engine failure forced the crew to shut down the left-hand PW4060 turbofan and divert to SLC.

Details of the Incident

According to historical tracking data from Flightradar24, the aircraft operating Delta Air Lines flight DL365 on September 10, 2025, was a Boeing 767-300ER with the registration N178DN. The aircraft departed New York 46 minutes late. However, its delay quickly escalated when, at an altitude of 36,000 feet and approximately 90 nautical miles north of Salt Lake City, the crew announced they had to shut down the left-hand engine due to an engine failure.

The aircraft was diverted to Salt Lake City, where it landed safely on runway 16L, which is 3,658 meters long. The landing occurred just over half an hour after the engine issue was first detected. As a result of the incident, the Boeing 767-300ER was taken out of service for more than a day.

About the Aircraft

According to current fleet data from ch-aviation, N178DN is one of 61 Boeing 767 family aircraft in Delta Air Lines' fleet. The fleet includes 21 767-400ERs with an average age of 24.8 years and 40 767-300ERs with an average age of 29.2 years. N178DN is among the latter group and is currently Delta's sixth-oldest 767-300ER, with an age of 34.7 years. The aircraft first flew in January 1991 and was delivered to Delta in November 1989, three months after being ordered. According to aeroLOPA, it has 36 business class seats and 175 economy class seats.

Return to Service

Although specific details about the engine issues that caused the diversion remain unclear, the problem appears to have been resolved relatively quickly. After just a day and a half on the ground in Utah, the aircraft repositioned back to New York as flight DL9963 on the morning of September 12. It then resumed service with a flight to Prague later that evening. This swift return to operation underscores the reliability and adaptability of the Boeing 767-300ER in Delta's fleet, even as it continues to serve in various routes across the globe.