O'Hare bound flight diverted to Indianapolis after pressurization issue

After a "controlled drop" in altitude, a Sunday morning flight headed to O'Hare International Airport from Charlotte, North Carolina, was diverted to Indianapolis, where it made an emergency landing at about 8:30 a.m.

United Airlines Flight 5919 was operated by United's regional partner, ExpressJet. The plane, an Embraer 145, carried 50 passengers, two pilots and one flight attendant. Some passengers complained of headaches and earaches, but there were no injuries.

ExpressJet spokesman Jarek Beem said the plane descended to an altitude of 10,000 feet because of a pressurization issue in the cabin.

Passengers were sent by chartered bus to Chicago when it was determined that would be faster than waiting for a replacement aircraft.

Beem said that contrary to reports that the aircraft dropped suddenly, "It was actually the pilot's bringing the aircraft to a lower altitude because of the pressurization issue.

"It would have been faster than your typical descent, but something that is in the pilot's control and done in accordance with safety procedures."

Beem said there were a couple of customers who asked to

receive medical attention in Indianapolis. They were checked out at the airport and cleared to continue.

FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the FAA will follow up to determine the cause of the pressurization problem.

"Pressurization issues like this are not everyday occurrences, but they are not unheard of, either," he said. "It's something that the crews are trained to handle, and in this case they did exactly what they were supposed to do by lowering the altitude."