SkyWest flight 5622 en route to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT experienced a rapid decompression after losing cabin pressure somewhere over Lake Erie.
According to flight tracking website, Flightaware, the aircraft made a rapid descent to 10,000 feet and immediately diverted to Buffalo. NBC reports that several passengers lost consciousness, but no other injuries were sustained during the emergency.
The airline told NBC that a passenger became ill and lost consciousness. Government sources said the plane lost cabin pressure and several passengers lost consciousness. The Federal Aviation Administration, which reported the pressurization problem, said that it would investigate.
The altitude profile from FlightRadar24 shows a steep descent during the diversion to Buffalo.
The Embraer E170 regional jet departed Chicago O’hare just after 10 a.m. and landed in Buffalo shortly before noon ET. The airline said it is working to accommodate the 75 passengers on another aircraft.
UPDATE 2:46 pm: Although reports from the FAA and flight tracking data indicate a loss of cabin press, according to SkyWest, a door did not open mid-flight.
The airline is bringing in a new aircraft to deliver stranded passengers to their final destination.
Photo: EMB 170 by David Betts (Flickr / CC Commercial License)