Bleeding ears and noses are some of the latest safety concerns related to Boeing planes.
Multiple outlets reported this week that some of the 140 passengers headed to Portland, Ore., on Delta Flight 1203 were injured due to cabin pressurization issues. Their flight was forced to turn around and the incident is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, per reports.
When the flight returned to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah at around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, around 10 passengers needed medical attention, per a statement from the Airline cited by The Washington Post. That statement explained that the plane, a Boeing 737-900ER, was not able to pressurize above 10,000 feet.
“I looked over at my husband, and he had both of his hands over his ears, you know, kind of leaning forward,” said Caryn Allen, a passenger aboard the flight who spoke to KSL TV. Then, she looked behind her and saw a man with a bloody nose.
According to a 2019 article from California Aeronautical University, cabin pressure may seem mysterious, but it is important for flight safety. As we get further away from sea level, air pressure begins to have a reduced impact on our bodies – at around 18,000 feet, it’s about half of what we experience at sea level. Some people experience ear popping and other symptoms when traveling to a higher altitude.
“This is the point at which human beings require oxygen in order to function – adults will only last about half an hour without it before losing consciousness,” said CAU. “It’s also why oxygen masks are waiting in the ceiling for passengers to put on in the event of depressurization.”
Most larger jets fly even higher than that, at around 40,000 feet above sea level. Air has even less pressure that high up. Pressurized cabins are usually maintained at a level slightly below what we experience at sea level so passengers and crew can retain consciousness.
Pressurization systems continually replace interior air with air from outside the plane through valves. If sudden depressurization occurs, people onboard the aircraft could experience hypothermia and hypoxia.
Cases of nosebleeds have been reported on flights before, according to the International Emergency Medicine Education Project. It said potential causes are dryness and changes in cabin pressure. Nampons, a company specializing in nosebleeds said that cabin pressure can impact blood vessels in the nose.
Sudden changes in pressure can also result in ear barotrauma, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Many people who fly experience “airplane ear” or mild versions of this condition that come with a clogged feeling, trouble hearing, dizziness and ear pain. In some cases, ear barotrauma can cause a ruptured eardrum and fluid leaking from the ear.
“Ear barotrauma happens when air or water pressure suddenly changes, putting pressure on your eustachian tubes,” the Cleveland Clinic explained. “Your eustachian tubes run from the back of your middle ear to the back of your throat. The tubes help maintain equal air pressure on both sides of your eardrum by letting outside air into your middle ear.”
Ruptured eardrums typically heal within a few weeks. However, they are associated with complications such as hearing loss, tinnitus, discharge and vertigo.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on flight 1203,” Delta said in its statement. It also said the flight crew followed procedures to help customers to return to Salt Lake City and that it had teams on the group support customers with “their immediate needs.”
According to the Associated Press, paramedics met passengers at the gate and that “they recommended that anyone who was bleeding go to the hospital for further evaluation.” Delta said it offered to cover transportation costs.
Delta also said the plane was taken out of service Sunday but returned to service Monday, per the AP. It said technicians resolved the issue that made the plane unable to pressurize. That plane was not part of a newer fleet the FAA investigated this year after a plug door flew off a Boeing plane mis-flight in January.
“However, the FAA in late January recommended more thorough inspections of other Boeing aircrafts including the 737-900ER involved in the incident over Salt Lake City because it shares the same door plug design as the MAX jets,” said the AP.
Other safety-related mishaps related to Boeing planes have made headlines this year, including one about an engine cover falling off during takeoff, and in July, Boeing pleaded guilty in a criminal case brought against the airline manufacturer for two deadly crashes involving its 737 MAX jetliners. This month, 30,000 Boeing employees went on strike. Boeing then announced it would temporarily halt production of its 737 MAX planes.
Delta was also hit hard recently by the CrowdStrike outage this summer.