Summary
- Delta Air Lines flight 2580 experienced pressurization issues during its descent into Las Vegas.
- Air traffic control declared the incident an emergency following communication issues with the crew.
- The FAA has previously issued airworthiness directives requiring testing of cabin altitude pressure switches on Boeing 737s.
A Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas experienced a pressurization incident Thursday evening.
Incident details
In keeping with The Aviation Herald, DL2580, operating a brief hop between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, was required to descend from 25,000 feet to a safer altitude of 10,000 feet following crew reports of issues with the cabin’s pressurization through the descent into Las Vegas.
Air traffic controllers (ATC) noted some communication issues with the aircraft because of the pilot’s oxygen mask and declared an emergency for the flight. The Boeing 737-900ER touched down safely on runway 26L at 21:35 PST, about 45 minutes after takeoff. No injuries were reported among the many 150 passengers and 6 crew members onboard.
In the next Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, the pilot confirmed upon landing that oxygen masks had been deployed within the flight deck and cabin, which had caused some communication issues through the read-back with ATC.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
The aircraft involved is an eight-year-old 737, registered N837DN. The plane remained on the bottom in Las Vegas for 2 days following the incident and has since returned to service, flying to Los Angeles on Saturday morning.
In an announcement shared with Easy Flying, a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines confirmed the incident.
“The crew on board this flight from LAX to Las Vegas on Thursday, November 23, took note of a possible mechanical issue upon descent into LAS, however the aircraft – a Boeing 737-900 – landed safely and customers deplaned normally. The protection of Delta’s customers and employees is at all times our top priority.”
Pressurization issues
In 2021, the FAA issued an airworthiness directive (AD) requiring airlines to check the cabin altitude pressure switches on all 737 aircraft amid concerns over possible failures. The agency outlined several instances of and required airlines to conduct testing inside 90 days, with repeats required every 2000 hours of flight. Within the AD, the FAA explained,
the FAA explained.
Photo: BlueBarronPhoto I Shutterstock
The FAA initially required all 737s to have two switches for redundancy. Nonetheless, further complications were reported because the failure rates in 2021 were significantly higher than projected. Failures of each switches while in flight can result in depressurization, causing low oxygen levels when flying over 10,000 feet. In keeping with FlightGlobal, the required testing takes under an hour, with replacing the switch taking about quarter-hour. Costs for testing are around $85 while replacing switches can set an airline back $1,400.
A follow-up AD covering all 737 generations was published in December 2022 and required airlines to interchange any switch failing to activate during functional testing between 9,000 and 11,000 feet.
Boeing faced further issues with its 737 program over the summer after reporting quality control issues with considered one of its suppliers, Spirit AeroSystems. The reported defect is throughout the aft pressure bulkhead, though it appears to be limited to its MAX 8 family aircraft, causing the planemaker to thrust back deliveries to repair the difficulty.
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