Delta Air Lines passengers text loved ones as aircraft is forced to drop 30,000ft

Passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight texted their families to tell them they loved them after a flight dropped nearly 30,000ft in minutes.

Flight 2353 was travelling from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale when a cabin pressure problem forced it to drop. The plane descended from 39,000ft to 10,000ft in eight minutes, according to a flight-tracking website.

Passenger Harris Dewoskin said: “A lot of people were hyperventilating. Life is fragile. There was a scary 60-90 seconds where we didn’t know what was going on.”

Another passenger said: “I texted my wife and dad I loved them. Told my mom I love her and hugged my son.”

A Delta Air Lines spokesman said: “We apologise to customers on flight 2353 which diverted to Tampa out of an abundance of caution and landed without incident following a cabin pressurisation irregularity en route.”

The airline said passengers were transported from Tampa to Fort Lauderdale by bus, arriving last night.

The aircraft was being examined by maintenance technicians. Passengers praised the crew for their handling of the incident.