Passengers onboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Portland, Oregon experienced bleeding eardrums, noses and headaches due to cabin pressure issues.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the flight, which was forced to make an emergency landing and return to Salt Lake City after pilots noticed a pressurization problem with the Boeing 737-900ER aircraft.
Delta says that 10 people required medical attention upon arrival at Salt Lake International Airport.
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Passenger Jaci Purser told KSL-TV that it felt like someone had stabbed her in the ear.
She described feeling her ear pop followed by a bubbling sensation.
“I grabbed my ear, and I pulled my hand back, and there was blood on it,” she said.
Ms Purser was later diagnosed with a ruptured eardrum after receiving medical attention.
Another passenger, Caryn Allen, recalled seeing her husband double over before realising others were also affected.
“I looked over at my husband, and he had both of his hands over his ears, you know, kind of leaning forward,” she told the outlet.
“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 claimed that passengers were told they were returning to the airport but not the reason behind the decision.
When the flight returned to the airport, paramedics were waiting for passengers and the airline paid for transport to the hospital for anyone who needed it.
In a statement, Delta Airlines said: “We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on flight 1203 on Sept. 15.”
“The flight crew followed procedures to return to SLC where our teams on the ground supported our customers with their immediate needs.
“Delta technicians worked the pressurization issue on the aircraft successfully,” they added.
“It was taken out of service on the morning of Sept. 15 and went back into service on Sept. 16.”
