Delta Air Lines passengers faced a terrifying ordeal when a pressurization issue left several individuals with bloodied noses and ears on a flight from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon.
Flight 1203, carrying 140 passengers, was forced to turn back mid-flight after the cabin failed to pressurize properly above 10,000 feet, leading to a wave of distress among those onboard.
According to Delta, the crew followed standard procedures and swiftly returned the plane to Salt Lake City, where passengers were met by medical personnel. At least 10 individuals were treated or evaluated upon landing.
For some passengers, the experience was far more than just discomfort. Jaci Purser, a traveler on the flight, recounted the harrowing moment when she felt her ear pop and then bubble as the pressure dropped. “It felt like someone was stabbing me in the ear,” Purser told NBC affiliate KSL-TV. “I grabbed my ear, and I pulled my hand back, and there was blood on it,” she said.
Others shared similar experiences, including Caryn Allen, who looked over at her husband and saw him clutching his ears in pain.
She says it didn’t take long for passengers to immediately realize that something was wrong.
“I looked about a row behind me, over on the other side of the aisle, and there was a gentleman that clearly had a very bad bloody nose, and people were trying to help him,” Allen recalled.
Delta issued a statement expressing their regret over the incident: “We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience,” the airline said.
They assured the public that the ground crew worked quickly to support affected passengers. The Boeing aircraft was temporarily taken out of service, with technicians successfully resolving the issue before the plane returned to operation the following day.
Although the exact cause of the pressurization problem remains unclear, Delta has assured that the necessary repairs were made.
According to The Federal Aviation Administration, they will open an investigation into the incident.
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