A Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Portland, Oregon, faced a terrifying mid-air emergency when passengers started bleeding from their ears and mouths due to a sudden pressurization issue. Delta Flight 1203 had only been in the air for a short time when the pilot was forced to turn the plane around and head back to Salt Lake International Airport.
According to passengers, the issue became apparent when the plane experienced a sharp dip, causing chaos onboard. Caryn Allen, a passenger on the flight, recounted the harrowing moment when she realized something was wrong. “I looked over at my husband, and he had both of his hands over his ears, you know, kind of leaning forward,” Allen said. “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.”
Another passenger, Jaci Purser, described the intense pain she experienced. “It felt like somebody was stabbing me in the ear,” she said. “I felt my ear pop from the pressure in the cabin, then bubble. I grabbed my ear, and I pulled my hand back, and there was blood on it.”
Delta Air Lines later confirmed that the Boeing 737-900 aircraft had experienced pressurization issues, but the airline has yet to disclose the exact cause of the malfunction.
Valerie Walker, a retired Delta Air Lines pilot, speculated that the issue could have stemmed from a malfunctioning outflow valve or a faulty sensor miscommunicating with the aircraft’s pressure system. Walker emphasized that such incidents are rarely due to pilot error, adding, “It’s usually something called the outflow valve that monitors the pressure in the aircraft or, it could be a sensor that went wrong and is telling the outflow valve to do the wrong thing.”
Despite the terrifying ordeal, the flight was able to return safely to Salt Lake International Airport, where passengers received medical attention.