Emergency slide falls off Delta plane after takeoff

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - The emergency exit slide fell off a Delta Airlines jet after taking off from New York en route to Los Angeles on Friday, Delta said.

Delta said that crew on the flight, which had 183 people on board, declared an emergency and returned to John F. Kennedy International Airport, that it "supporting retrieval efforts."

“As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK," the airline said.

Delta said the Boeing 767 aircraft, which will be "thoroughly" evaluated, has been removed from service. It said it will cooperate in investigations.

The incident is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the agency. (Reporting by Jasper Ward and David Shepardson Editing by Alistair Bell)