FAA investigates cabin pressure issue that injured Delta passengers: NPR

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating an incident this week aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City in which several passengers experienced nose and ear bleeding due to a problem with the cabin pressurization of the Boeing 737-900ER aircraft.

Medical staff met the flight at the gate and identified 10 passengers who required treatment or examination, the airline said..

Passengers talking to local News channel KSL-TV said they quickly noticed that something was wrong on Delta Flight 1203, bound for Portland, Oregon, on Sunday.

“I looked over at my husband and he had both hands over his ears, you know, he was kind of hunched over,” said one passenger, Caryn Allen. “I looked about a row behind me, across the aisle, and there was a gentleman sitting there who obviously had a very bad nosebleed, and people were trying to help him.”

The pilots decided to return the plane to Salt Lake City, where it landed without further incident, Delta said. No oxygen masks were used on board the flight with 140 passengers.

“We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on Flight 1203 on September 15,” Delta said in a statement. “The flight crew followed procedures to return to SLC, where our teams on the ground assisted our customers with their immediate needs.”

Delta offered to cover transportation costs to medical facilities.

The problem with the flight was that the plane could not build up pressure above 10,000 feet, Delta said. In the event of a pressure problem, pilots are trained to conduct controlled descents below 12,000 feet, where no supplemental oxygen is required.

The Boeing aircraft was taken out of service that same morning, September 15, and returned to service on September 16 after Delta technicians fixed the problem.

The FAA investigation is routine for all pressure problems and does not necessarily relate to current headlines regarding Boeing Safety record.