Delta Flight Plunges 27,000 Feet in 10 Minutes After Oxygen Masks Deploy
- Delta Flight 2311 rapidly descended from approximately 36,200 feet to 9,000 feet after experiencing a pressurisation problem.
- The Los Angeles-to-Salt Lake City flight diverted to Las Vegas with 174 passengers and six crew members aboard.
- The aircraft landed safely at Harry Reid International Airport, and no injuries were reported.
A Delta Air Lines flight was forced to make an emergency diversion after plunging approximately 27,000 feet in just 10 minutes when oxygen masks suddenly deployed inside the cabin.
Flight 2311 departed Los Angeles International Airport for Salt Lake City on September 6, 2026, carrying 174 passengers and six crew members aboard a Boeing 737-900.
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During the journey, the aircraft experienced an unexpected cabin pressurisation problem. It rapidly descended from an altitude of around 36,200 feet to approximately 9,000 feet as the pilots redirected the flight towards Las Vegas.
Delta said the flight crew followed established training and safety procedures to bring the aircraft down to an appropriate altitude following the pressurisation issue.
Recordings of radio communications between the pilots and air traffic controllers later emerged online. In the exchange, a pilot reported that Flight 2311 was making a rapid descent and requested clearance to descend to 9,000 feet while proceeding directly to Las Vegas.
When an air traffic controller asked whether the oxygen masks had deployed, the pilot confirmed that they had.
Despite the alarming descent, the aircraft landed safely at Harry Reid International Airport at approximately 6:16pm. All passengers disembarked normally, and no injuries were reported.
