Many passengers were injured after a Delta Air Lines plane experienced a cabin pressurization issue while 10,000 feet in the air.
Passenger Jaci Purser told KSL that she experienced a “stabbing” pain in her ear, describing to the outlet that she felt her ear pop from the pressure in the cabin, then bubble.
“I grabbed my ear, and then I pulled my hand back, and there was blood on it,” said Purser, who was later diagnosed with a ruptured eardrum.
At least 10 of the 140 passengers on board the Boeing aircraft reported eardrum injuries and bloody noses when “the aircraft was unable to pressurize above 10,000 feet” on Sept. 15, according to the airline.
Flight 1203 was headed to Portland, Ore., when it was “unable to pressurize above 10,000 feet” and “oxygen masks did not deploy,” a Delta spokesperson told People magazine.
“I looked over at my husband, and he had both of his hands over his ears, you know, kind of leaning forward,” passenger Caryn Allen told the outlet.
She soon realized they weren’t the only ones suffering.
“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 recounted.
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Passengers told the outlet that they also felt the plane dip before it was forced to return to its departure destination in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Delta staffers “were very attentive and trying to make sure everybody was OK once we were on the ground,” said Allen, who added “they could have done a little bit better, letting us know what was happening.”
No serious injuries were reported, but 10 people required medical evaluation or treatment, the airline said.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on flight 1203 on Sept. 15,” the airline said in a statement.
Delta offered to cover transportation for the affected customers to medical facilities.
According to Delta, “technicians worked the pressurization issue on the aircraft successfully” and went back into service the following day. Passengers were accommodated on another flight, the airline said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the matter is under investigation.