Cabin pressure issue on Delta flight causes bloody ears and noses for passengers

Amanda Jackson and Melissa Alonso, CNN

Some Delta Air Lines passengers are recovering after a pressurization issue on a flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Portland, Oregon, caused bloody noses and other issues, according to airline and passenger statements.

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

Flight 1203 passengers were accommodated on another aircraft.

Delta technicians fixed the pressurization issue on the aircraft, the airline said, and the plane was returned to service the following day.

Jaci Purser told CNN it felt like somebody was stabbing her in the ear. “I heard some air come out and then it started bubbling. It sounded like my ear was bubbling, my right ear, and I touched my ear, and there was blood coming out,” Purser said.

Purser, who was on a business trip, said her colleagues and other passengers also experienced similar issues.

“Our ears just started hurting really, really bad. Everybody around us was grabbing their ears, people’s ears started bleeding, people’s noses started bleeding,” she said.

A photo taken by passenger Jaci Purser after the Delta flight she was on returned to the airport due to a cabin pressure issue that caused bloody noses and other problems for passengers. - Jaci Purser
A photo taken by passenger Jaci Purser after the Delta flight she was on returned to the airport due to a cabin pressure issue that caused bloody noses and other problems for passengers. - Jaci Purser

It didn’t take very long for passengers to notice something was wrong on the flight, fellow passenger Caryn Allen told CNN affiliate KSL.

“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.”

No serious injuries were reported, but medical personnel identified 10 individuals in need of evaluation or treatment following the flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate.

CNN’s Zenebou Sylla and Monique Smith contributed to this report.

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