The Federal Aviation Administration is conducting an investigation after a Delta Air Lines flight departing from Salt Lake City last weekend experienced cabin pressure issues, causing some passengers to suffer from bleeding eardrums, headaches, and bloody noses.
The incident occurred on a Sunday flight from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon, involving a five-year-old Boeing 737-900ER aircraft. Pilots detected a pressurization problem and decided to make an emergency landing back in Utah’s capital, according to the flight log.
Passengers recounted to television station KSL that they observed people bleeding as the plane descended over the Great Salt Lake. The pilots announced the aircraft’s return to the airport but did not clarify the reason, as stated by passenger Caryn Allen. Surprisingly, oxygen masks did not deploy during the incident.
Allen described the distressing scene, noting her husband covering his ears in pain while other passengers assisted a man who had an uncontrollable bloody nose. Another passenger, Jaci Purser, revealed the excruciating pain she felt, saying it felt like someone was stabbing her inner ear. “I grabbed my ear, and I pulled my hand back, and there was blood on it,” she recounted.
Paramedics met the passengers upon landing and identified at least 10 out of the 140 travelers who required medical attention. They recommended that individuals experiencing bleeding seek further evaluation at a hospital, with Delta offering to cover transportation costs. The airline expressed their regret, stating, “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.”
Delta reported that the aircraft was removed from service on Sunday and returned on Monday after technicians resolved a pressurization issue that prevented the plane from maintaining pressure above 10,000 feet.
The Boeing 737-900ER involved in this emergency landing is not part of the manufacturer’s newer MAX fleet, which experienced scrutiny earlier this year after a door plug blew off during a Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines flight at 16,000 feet over Oregon. Nonetheless, the FAA recommended in late January more thorough inspections of other Boeing aircraft, including the 737-900ER involved in the Salt Lake City incident, because it shares the same door plug design as the MAX jets.
