Page 13 - AAA April 23, 2015

A U.S. official said the crew acted because of word of illness in the cabin but didn't report to
controllers any problems with the aircraft.

"It's a big mystery," said the official, who was familiar with the incident but wasn't authorized
to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Passenger Larry Johnson, of Danbury, said it became difficult to breathe partway through the
flight, though oxygen masks never dropped.

"They told us there was a leak in something and the pressurization was cutting short," he said.
"They said if you got lightheaded, that was normal, but that we were going to have to descend
and make an emergency landing."

He said several passengers were given oxygen.

"None of the air vents were working, and it was hard to breathe. You just felt that your chest
was caving in, and then the plane descended so rapidly and that didn't help," Johnson said.
"Me and my girlfriend, we were looking at each other. We were like, 'We don't feel good.'
Everything was so bright, and when you blinked, you would see dots."

Inspections by airline mechanics and local authorities show "absolutely nothing wrong with
the aircraft," SkyWest Inc. spokeswoman Marissa Snow said.

She said she had no confirmation that air wasn't coming from the vents in the cabin or that
the air handling system in the cabin was faulty.

For nearly eight minutes, the plane descended at a steep angle, dropping as fast as 7,000 feet
per minute, the flight tracking service FlightAware said.

The U.S. official said pilots did not report a pressurization problem, oxygen masks didn't
deploy and pressure in the cabin was recorded as equivalent to 8,000 feet, which is normal.
No smell was reported, and investigators have found no evidence that any door was opened.

There were three pilots in the cockpit, the normal flight deck crew of two pilots plus a
SkyWest check airman, who performs occasional evaluations of pilots' flying skills.

The U.S. official and the airline, which is based in St. George, Utah, said 14 passengers and
one flight attendant reported symptoms, were evaluated after landing and required no further
treatment. The airline said three people lost consciousness, but the official said that wasn't the
case.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday said initial information indicated the jet
may have had a pressurization problem, but that turned out to be incorrect.

"Pressurization would have to be the No. 1 suspect," said William Waldock, a safety science
professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, "unless there was some sort of toxic gas
or something else that nobody could smell or see."