Delta Boeing 737 Makes Emergency Descent After Cabin Pressure Drops

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 flying from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City made an emergency diversion to Las Vegas on Sunday evening after suffering a mid-air depressurization at 35,000 feet. The 14-year-old aircraft's cabin pressure dropped rapidly, prompting the deployment of oxygen masks throughout the cabin.

The pilots, who were wearing special airtight oxygen masks with built-in microphones, declared an emergency with Las Vegas air traffic control and initiated a rapid descent to 9,000 feet. The crew had less than a minute to react before hypoxia could set in, causing euphoria, clumsiness, and eventually loss of consciousness.

This is not the first time a Delta 737 has experienced pressurization issues; just last August, a passenger on a flight from Salt Lake City to Portland sued the airline for permanent hearing loss due to a malfunctioning cabin pressurization system.