Passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight suffered burst eardrums, headaches and bloody noses when the cabin developed a pressurization issue mid-flight.
Flight DL 1203 was en route to Portland International Airport (PDX) from Salt Lake City on September 15, 2024 when pilots noticed that the five-year old B737-900ER aircraft had a pressurization issue when it flew past 10,000 feet.
Passengers told US media outlets that they immediately noticed something was amiss during the flight.
Salt Lake City news outlet KSLTV was told by one passenger that when she looked over at her husband, he had “both of his hands over his ears” and was leaning forward. And when she looked at the other side of the aisle, she saw another passenger with a “very bloody nose” being assisted by other people.
Another passenger told CNN that the sensation felt like being stabbed in the ear. The passenger said that her ear sounded like it was “bubbling” and started bleeding.
The flight immediately returned to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), where paramedics met and treated injured passengers.
Delta Air Lines said in a statement that its technicians had identified and “successfully” fixed the issue with the aircraft’s pressurization system.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on flight 1203 on September 15, 2024,” the airline said.
“The flight crew followed procedures to return to SLC where our teams on the ground supported our customers with their immediate needs,” the airline added.
The airline said it had offered to cover transportation for customers needing to go to a medical facility.
“It was taken out of service on the morning of September 15, 2024 and went back into service on September 16, 2024,” the airline added.