The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation after a Delta Air Lines flight experienced cabin pressure issues, causing several passengers to suffer from bleeding ears, headaches, and bloody noses, the Associated Press reports.
The incident occurred last Sunday on Delta flight 1203, which was traveling from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon, before the aircraft had to make an emergency landing back in Salt Lake City due to the pressurization problem.
The flight was aboard a Boeing 737-900ER, which pilots noticed could not properly pressurize at higher altitudes. Despite the cabin pressure issue, oxygen masks did not deploy during the flight. As the plane descended over the Great Salt Lake, some passengers began experiencing pain and bleeding.
Caryn Allen, a passenger on the flight, recounted that while the pilots announced the emergency return, they did not explain the reason at the time. Allen described seeing her husband in pain and passengers trying to help others with nosebleeds. Another passenger, Jaci Purser, compared the pain in her ears to being stabbed, and said she realized her ear was bleeding during the descent.
Upon landing, paramedics attended to at least 10 of the 140 passengers who required medical attention. Delta later offered transportation for anyone needing further hospital evaluation and issued an apology.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience,” the company stated.
The plane was taken out of service following the emergency landing, but was cleared and returned to operation the following day after technicians addressed the issue. The FAA’s investigation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of certain Boeing aircraft, although the 737-900ER used in the Delta flight is not part of Boeing’s MAX fleet, which faced its own safety concerns earlier this year.
Delta confirmed that the cabin pressurization issue prevented the plane from maintaining proper pressure above 10,000 feet, prompting the return to Salt Lake City. The FAA’s investigation will likely focus on the specific cause of the malfunction and whether further action is necessary to prevent similar incidents.
