Santa Ana-bound flight makes emergency landing after slide accidentally deploys

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana made an emergency landing in Wichita, Kansas, after the emergency evacuation slide accidentally deployed mid-flight Sunday night.

Flight 1463 left Chicago O-Hare International Airport around 6:18 p.m. PDT. Ninety-six passengers and five crew members were on board at the time the slide deployed inside the plane.

"All of a sudden heard a popping noise and kind of a hissing," said one passenger. "Looked back, and you could see the slide inflated like an airbag inflates in a car."

No passengers were hurt, and the plane landed safely at Mid-Continental Airport at 8:36 p.m. PDT. Passengers were given a free hotel room for the night.

"Our maintenance team will inspect the aircraft to determine what happened," United Airlines said in a statement.

Passengers arrived on a new plane at John Wayne Airport on Monday after their flight was further delayed about two hours.