A Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale was forced to make an emergency landing after dropping 29,000 feet in just eight minutes. One passenger said people were "screaming and crying."
They were halfway through their trip when their plane had to suddenly drop nearly 30,000 feet after pilots noticed a "cabin pressurization irregularity."
The aircraft had to be diverted to Tampa International Airport after pilots discovered there was a problem with the cabin's air pressure. At the altitudes where jumbo jets travel, low oxygen-levels can quickly immobilize people and even lead to death. That meant the Delta pilots had to quickly take the plane from 39,000 feet to 10,000 feet within minutes.
According to a statement from Delta, the passengers deplaned in Tampa without incident or any injuries.
We apologize to our customers on flight 2353 from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, which diverted to Tampa out of an abundance of caution and landed without incident following a cabin pressurization irregularity en route.
The plane is currently grounded and is being evaluated by mechanics on the ground at Tampa International Airport to determine what went wrong with the flight.