4 passengers suffer minor injuries on Dallas-bound Southwest flight

DALLAS — Some passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Denver suffered minor injuries when the plane appeared to suddenly lose cabin pressure as it neared Dallas.

Flight 861 had 120 people on board Saturday night when oxygen masks deployed and the pilots declared an emergency as the plane approached Dallas Love Field.

Southwest said in a statement Monday that the flight crew reduced altitude but that the cabin did not depressurize.

Paramedics met the flight at the gate and treated four people for ear pain.

There have been a number of incidents involving Southwest flights in recent weeks. On April 17, an engine exploded on a flight from New York, shattering a window and leading to the death of a passenger.