- Delta Flight 1203 was diverted back to Salt Lake City on Sunday, September 15, after the plane “could not be pressurized”
- An incident on a Boeing 737-900 plane left 10 passengers in need of medical attention
- Passengers recalled severe earaches and bloody noses as a result of pressure problems
Multiple passengers were injured after a Delta flight bound for Portland experienced a cabin pressure problem during the flight.
Delta Flight 1203 returned to its original destination of Salt Lake City after “the aircraft failed to depressurize above 10,000 feet” on Sunday, Sept. 15, an airline spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE.
The Boeing 737-900 was carrying 140 passengers and “the oxygen masks did not open” during the incident. At least 10 people required medical evaluation or treatment and were met by medics when the plane returned to Salt Lake City, according to the airline.
Unruly passenger ordered to pay airline almost $6,000 for wasted fuel after forcing flight to divert
Getty
Passengers described the terrifying experience in an interview with KSL TV on Monday, September 16.
“I looked over at my husband and he had both hands over his ears, you know, kind of leaning forward,” passenger Caryn Allen recalled. “I looked one row behind me, on the other side of the aisle, and there was a gentleman who obviously had a very bloody nose, and people were trying to help him.”
Jaci Purser, another passenger on the flight, said: “I grabbed my ear and pulled my hand back and there was blood on it.”
The publishing house reports that Purser “said she felt like someone was stabbing her in the ear” before she realized she was bleeding. She also felt a popping sensation in her ear followed by a bubbling sensation.
Allen added, “they finally announced that we’re going back to the airport, but they still haven’t said why,” after passengers felt the plane descend and begin circling the Great Salt Lake.
Plane crash nearly separates plane’s tail from body at Atlanta airport: video
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/Salt-Lake-City-International-Airport-091724-b41467e2a6564b3e876ed26727bb0106.jpg)
Salt Lake City International Airport.
George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A Delta spokesperson noted that the airline covers the transportation of passengers to the hospital.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date with the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on Flight 1203 on September 15,” the airline said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “The flight crew followed procedures to return to SLC where our teams on the ground supported our customers with their immediate needs.”
They also noted that the aircraft “was withdrawn from service on the morning of September 15 and returned to service on September 16” after Delta technicians successfully resolved the pressurization problem.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education