The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a Delta Air Lines flight after passengers suffered ruptured eardrums and nosebleeds due to air pressure issues, forcing the plane to turn around.
On Sunday, the plane, a Boeing 737-900, was en route from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Portland, Oregon, when it was forced to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City due to pressurization problems.
Speaking to KSLTV, a passenger, Caryn Allen, said she looked up and saw her husband hunched over in his seat with both hands over his ears. Allen then noticed other passengers also in pain and said, “I looked across the aisle a row behind me and there was a man who obviously had a bad nose bleed and people were trying to help him.”
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Another passenger, Jaci Purser, told the TV station that she felt someone poke her ear and that her ear popped. “I grabbed my ear and pulled my hand back and there was blood on it,” Purser said.
After the emergency landing, emergency responders identified at least 10 of the 140 passengers on board who needed medical attention. Delta offered to pay for their transportation to the hospital.
In a statement after the incident, Delta said: “We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on Flight 1203 on September 15. The crew followed procedures to return to SLC, where our teams on the ground assisted our customers with their immediate needs,” KSLTV reported.
“Delta technicians successfully resolved the pressurization issue on the aircraft. It was taken out of service on the morning of September 15 and returned to service on September 16,” the airline added.
The FAA says it is investigating the incident.
