ATLANTA- A Delta Air Lines (DL) passenger claims she suffered permanent hearing loss after a Boeing 737 cabin pressurization malfunction. The flight DL1203 departed from Salt Lake City (SLC) en route to Portland International Airport (PDX).
The incident occurred shortly after takeoff, forcing the aircraft to divert back to Salt Lake City. The passenger, Utah resident Jaci Purser, has filed a lawsuit against Delta, alleging negligence and inadequate aircraft maintenance.
Photo: By Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland – Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800; N3746H@SLC;09.10.2011/621ai, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26713097Delta Passenger Hearing Loss Lawsuit
Delta Air Lines (DL) flight DL1203 took off from Salt Lake City (SLC) at approximately 8:10 AM on September 15, 2024, with 140 passengers on board.
The Boeing 737 was scheduled for a routine 90-minute trip to Portland. During its initial climb, the cockpit received a cabin pressurization system alert, prompting the pilots to level off at just 9,000 feet instead of continuing to cruising altitude.
FlightRadar24 data shows the aircraft circling back toward Salt Lake City. Within 16 minutes of departure, the plane landed safely, but not before multiple passengers experienced severe discomfort and barotrauma.
Reports described children screaming in pain as their ears popped violently. One passenger’s coworker even suffered a ruptured eardrum, with blood coming from the ear during the descent.
According to PYOK, between 10 and 15 passengers required hospital treatment after the emergency landing. Paramedics boarded the aircraft immediately upon arrival to assess injuries.
Photo: By Alan Wilson – Boeing 737-932ER(w) ‘N804DN’ Delta, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33925292Passengers’ Experience
Several passengers described severe discomfort from rapidly changing cabin pressure. One traveler told the Aviation Herald that ears were “popping the entire time,” while another stated a coworker suffered a ruptured eardrum with visible bleeding. Reports suggest that between 10 and 15 passengers required hospital treatment.
Utah resident Jaci Purser has filed a lawsuit against Delta, claiming she was “severely injured” and now suffers permanent hearing loss. The legal complaint alleges that Delta failed to properly maintain the aircraft, resulting in the malfunction.
Photo: Collins AerospaceWhy Oxygen Masks Did Not Deploy
Many passengers questioned why oxygen masks failed to drop during the incident. However, Oxygen masks deploy automatically at cabin altitudes around 14,000 feet to prevent hypoxia.
In this case, the aircraft never reached that threshold, so masks did not drop despite the pressurization problem. The lack of oxygen mask deployment was not a failure of safety systems but rather a result of the aircraft leveling off below the required altitude.
The distress was caused not by hypoxia but by abnormal pressure changes within the cabin environment.
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – Delta Air Lines, N356DN, Airbus A321-211, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87516894Possible Causes of the Malfunction
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) did not open a formal investigation, leaving questions about the precise cause unresolved.
Aviation specialists suggest the malfunction may not have been a failure to pressurize but rather an over-pressurization event.
This theory aligns with reports of dramatic passenger injuries, as excess pressurization can cause intense pain and ear trauma. While Delta has not provided a detailed explanation, the lawsuit alleges that improper maintenance allowed the malfunction to occur.
The case could potentially highlight broader concerns about airline procedures and system oversight on aging Boeing 737 aircraft.
Photo: Delta Zibo 737-900ER Pack – Aircraft Skins – Liveries – X-Plane.Org ForumLegal Action Against Delta
Plaintiff Jaci Purser claims she sustained “severe injury and permanent hearing loss” due to the malfunction.
Her lawsuit accuses Delta of negligence, specifically citing failure to maintain the pressurization system adequately.
If proven, the case could establish liability for passenger injuries and raise legal questions about airline accountability in mechanical system failures.
The outcome of the lawsuit may also determine whether passengers receive compensation for medical costs, long-term health effects, and the trauma experienced during the emergency diversion.
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