Delta Passengers Suffer Bloody Noses, Burst Ear Drums After Terrifying Mid-Flight Malfunction

10 people were evaluated or treated by paramedics

Multiple Delta Air Lines passengers are recovering from bloody noses and burst ear drums suffered during a terrifying cabin pressure issue.

Passengers quickly began to experience pain after the Sept. 15 flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Portland, Oregon, got into the air.

"I looked over at my husband, and he had both of his hands over his ears, you know, kind of leaning forward," passenger Carry Allen told KSL-TV. "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."

Another passenger, Jaci Purser, recounted feeling a stabbing pain in her ear before hearing it pop and bubble.

"I grabbed my ear, and I pulled my hand back, and there was blood on it," Purser told the station.

During this time, the plane dipped down and began circling the Great Salt Lake before the pilots announced that they would be returning back to the airport. Retired Delta pilot Valerie Walker told KSL-TV that the dip in altitude was likely done to maintain cabin pressure while pilots troubleshoot the problem.

The flight returned to Salt Lake International Airport where 10 people were treated or evaluated by paramedics. Purser said Delta paid for her Lyft ride to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a ruptured eardrum.

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