Delta Air Lines Flight 2353 had to make an emergency rapid descent on Wednesday, September 18. The flight was travelling from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. when a cockpit warning necessitated the rapid descent. The plane quickly dove almost 30,000 ft in just seven minutes, according to flight tracking website, Flight Aware. Delta later described the incident as a “controlled descent.”
A statement released by Delta said, “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.”
Passengers said flight attendants came over the intercom and instructed them to put on their oxygen masks and to stay calm. Pictures taken by passengers show the masks dangling from the ceiling. One passenger called it a “scary moment.”
Passengers were taken by bus to their original destination in Fort Lauderdale. The aircraft is undergoing maintenance.