SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into a serious incident involving a Delta Air Lines flight that recently departed Salt Lake City. Passengers aboard experienced severe cabin pressure issues, leading to symptoms like bleeding eardrums, bloody noses, and headaches.
On Sunday, the five-year-old Boeing 737-900ER was en route from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon when the cockpit crew detected a problem with pressurization. Prompted by safety concerns, the pilots decided to make an emergency landing back in Salt Lake City, as noted in the flight log.
As the plane descended over the Great Salt Lake, passengers observed disturbing scenes, with reports of people bleeding. Caryn Allen, a passenger, mentioned that the crew announced a return to the airport but didn’t elaborate on the issue. Disturbingly, oxygen masks did not deploy during the descent.
According to Allen, she witnessed her husband in pain, desperately covering his ears, while others rushed to assist a man suffering from a violent bloody nose. Another passenger, Jaci Purser, expressed her distress, saying it felt as if someone was stabbing her ear. She reported finding blood on her hand after touching her ear.
Upon arrival, paramedics were on standby and evaluated the situation, identifying at least 10 passengers who needed medical assistance out of the 140 people onboard. Those who were bleeding were advised to go to nearby hospitals for further treatment, and Delta Air Lines stated that they would cover these transportation costs.
In a statement, Delta Airlines offered their sincere apologies, saying, “We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on flight 1203 on Sept. 15. The flight crew followed procedures to return to SLC where our teams on the ground supported our customers with their immediate needs.”
The airline reported that the affected aircraft was removed from service shortly after the incident and returned to service the following day after technicians addressed the issue that had caused its inability to maintain cabin pressure above 10,000 feet.
It’s important to note that the Boeing aircraft involved in this incident is not part of the newer MAX fleet, which has faced scrutiny this year due to safety issues, including a similar incident where a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight while it was at 16,000 feet. However, the FAA has recommended closer inspections of various Boeing models, including the 737-900ER involved in this event, as it features the same door plug design as the MAX planes.
