- A Delta passenger developed anaphylaxis on board after a flight attendant served nuts to people nearby.
- Sarah Metzger said she used two epi-pens, but the plane didn’t crash.
- Delta Air Lines said passenger safety is its top priority and crew members are trained to respond to incidents on board.
A Delta passenger said he had an anaphylactic reaction to nuts and had to inject himself with two EpiPens, but the plane did not make an emergency landing.
In a complaint filed with the Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Law Enforcement and Litigation, Sarah Metzger alleges that Delta failed to accommodate her disability and failed to accommodate her when she experienced life-threatening symptoms.
Metzger was flying back to his hometown of Portland, Oregon, on Delta Air Lines from Sarasota, Fla., in April after visiting family. The incident happened after he changed planes in Atlanta.
Metzger told insiders that he told a flight attendant that he had a life-threatening nut allergy when he boarded the plane in Atlanta. However, passengers on board were told they would be served snacks containing almonds.
After reminding the flight attendants about the allergy, Metzger said they asked if they wanted to create a buffer zone around them or not serve almonds to the crew at all. she wanted the latter.
Shortly after the snacks were handed out, Metzger said his throat began to swell and start to itch. This is a common symptom of anaphylaxis. She noticed that the passengers around her were eating almonds.
Metzger administered an EpiPen in the bathroom and told the crew that the plane had to make an emergency landing. Another passenger, who said she was a cardiologist, advised her to see her and see if her condition improved.
She said she had a second EpiPen injection because her symptoms persisted. “At the moment, none of my staff are talking to me seriously. They’re all talking through this doctor,” Metzger told an insider.
Metzger said the passenger’s advice contradicted what Delta pilots heard from medical staff on the ground that suggested an emergency landing of the plane.
“I’m sitting there with the after-effects of an anaphylactic reaction, hoping that it won’t come back and that I won’t die on this plane. It was a really scary situation,” she said. .
The plane landed in Portland as scheduled. Metzger said he had been told several times that pilots were looking for airports for emergency landings.
“Despite the medical hazards of Mr. Metzger and the instructions of the medical services on the ground, the pilot followed the preferences of the cardiologist and the passengers rather than the obvious medical needs of Mr. Metzger and the instructions of the medical services on the ground.” The complaint states: says the Ministry of Transport. “The pilot refused to land.”
Metzger said when the plane landed, medical workers had to wait until other passengers had left the plane.
She vowed never to fly Delta again. “Whether or not they risk my life and take my disability for granted is entirely up to the whim of the airline staff,” Metzger said. “I don’t want to die on a Delta flight, so I’m not going to take that risk again.”
Metzger wants to fine Delta for disability discrimination.
A Delta representative told an insider, “Unfortunately, we are unable to respond to this specific incident, but the safety of our passengers is Delta’s top priority and our crew is aware that the incident occurred on board. We are trained and prepared for any eventuality,” he said.
Allergy activists are calling for more caution from airlines after a string of close calls related to nut distribution.
Last month, Rian Mandelbaum said she was “humiliated” by a United Airlines flight attendant when she tried to ask for a “buffer zone” because of her son’s nut allergy.