Delta plane plummets 27,000 feet in 10 minutes, deploying oxygen masks mid-flight
Midway from Los Angeles to Utah, a Delta Air Lines flight had to make an emergency landing in Nevada after an "unexpected pressurization issue" caused the plane to drop 27,000 feet in 10 minutes.
Citing information from a Delta spokesperson, PEOPLE Magazine reported that Flight DL2311 departed from Los Angeles International Airport and was headed to Salt Lake City International Airport when the incident took place on Sunday, Sept. 6.
"The flight crew of Delta flight 2311 followed their training and procedures to safely bring the aircraft to optimal altitude when an unexpected pressurization issue occurred," the airline said in a statement.
The plane was about halfway into the one-hour-and-22-minute flight, at an altitude of about 36,200 feet when it suddenly dropped to 9,000 feet within approximately 10 minutes.
As it experienced its rapid descent, the pilot requested air traffic control to divert the flight path to Las Vegas. A recording obtained by US Air Traffic Control's live air traffic radio ATC.com confirmed the pilot's report that oxygen masks had been deployed.
There were 174 passengers and six crew members onboard.
In April, a Philippine Airlines Express flight from Dumaguete to Manila experienced a similar pressurization incident. The Iloilo International Airport cited reports saying the aircraft had "insufficient" oxygen supply in the cabin after it reached a cruising altitude of 32,000 feet.
Passengers reported feeling hot in the cabin even as they boarded. Over 35 minutes into the flight, with the temperature unchanged, oxygen masks were deployed.
The aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Iloilo International Airport.
In both instances, there were no reports of injury.
