A Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur turned into a nightmare when passengers started experiencing horrible injuries due to a cabin pressure fault.
Thirty passengers on board flight 9W697 began bleeding from the ears and nose shortly after takeoff.
Some of them experienced temporary mild deafness.
It’s believed the injuries were caused by the flight crew failing to select a switch to maintan cabin pressure.
Oxygen masks were deployed as soon as several passengers began showing visible symptoms.
The flight turned back around and landed back on the runway in Mumbai where eight passengers were taken to hospital.
Doctors diagnosed numerous passengers with barotrauma, which is the medical term for bleeding of the ears and nose.
A Jet Airways spokesperson said: “All guests were deplaned safely and taken to the terminal. First aid was administered to few guests who complained of ear pain, bleeding nose etc.
“The airline is making alternative flight arrangements for guests on this flight.”
Both pilots of the flight have been removed from flying duty pending an inquiry.
Passenger Darshak Hathi shared a video of the incident from inside the cabin on social media.
Inside visuals of Jet Airways Mumbai-Jaipur flight that was turned back to Mumbai airport midway today after a loss in cabin pressure pic.twitter.com/j9S6oKIf01
— TOI Mumbai (@TOIMumbai) September 20, 2018
Another passenger Satish Nair tweeted images of himself wearing the oxygen masks.
@jetairways Flight 9W 697 made an emergency landing back in Mumbai. Airplane lost pressure immediately after taking off...scores of passengers including me bleeding from nose....no staff to help...no announcement on board to wear the oxygen mask.passengersafety completelyignored pic.twitter.com/vO9O95aMCP
— Satish Nair (@satishnairk) September 20, 2018
Aircraft fly at an altitude where the air pressure is far lower than our bodies are used to, which also means there is less oxygen available for us to breathe.
Because of this, aircraft are pressurized to simulate a lower altitude inside the cabin.
As an aircraft climbs to a high altitude, the cabin is pressurized, and as it descends for landing, it is gradually de-pressurized.
Low pressure air is thinner and drier, which can cause nosebleeds.
