A flight headed for Oregon returns to Salt Lake because of a “pressurization issue”

Salt Lake City, Utah – After experiencing a “pressurization issue,” an aircraft from Salt Lake to Portland had to make an emergency landing, Delta Airlines reported on Sunday.

The flight log states that at approximately 8:00 a.m., the Boeing 737-900 aircraft took off from Salt Lake City International Airport, but the flight crew had to return due to an issue with cabin pressure. Around 8:40 a.m., the aircraft made a second landing at Salt Lake City International Airport.

According to Delta Airlines, this occurred because the plane was unable to pressurize when it approached 10,000 feet in altitude. Additionally, they claim that during the flight, oxygen masks did not come out.

Since then, the 140 passengers have been transferred to a different aircraft, which departed on the originally scheduled route shortly after 10:15 a.m.

Aircraft must pressurize between 10,000 and 14,000 feet according to standard procedure. A plane’s inability to pressurize can cause a lot of issues for the crew and passengers. The two most significant problems are the aircraft’s mid-flight atmospheric pressure and the diminishing supply of oxygen.

An individual suffering from hypoxia, or low blood oxygen levels, may feel lethargic, disoriented, have trouble thinking clearly, or even lose consciousness. It can quickly turn deadly if treatment is not received.

Commercial aircraft maintain an air pressure equivalent to 8,000 feet above the ground in order to provide circumstances that are safe for both passengers and crew. This is done to make sure that the cabin pressure is always equal to the atmospheric pressure outside the aircraft, which drops as it ascends.