A Delta Air Lines pilot and Mexico City air traffic controller had a rather frustrating interaction during an emergency. Is the air traffic controller to blame, or was the pilot’s lackluster communication a contributing factor?
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Delta pilot & Mexico ATC have frustrating interaction
This incident happened on April 7, 2025, and involves Delta flight DL576, scheduled to operate from Mexico City (MEX) to Atlanta (ATL). The flight was operated by a 24-year-old Boeing 737-800 with the registration code N399DA.
The flight took off at 12:27PM local time, but reportedly had pressurization issues after takeoff. This meant that the plane couldn’t climb above an altitude of 10,000 feet — keep in mind that Mexico City’s airport is at an altitude of over 7,300 feet, so that doesn’t leave much vertical space, especially given that the terrain around the airport isn’t exactly flat.
Upon discovering this issue, the Delta pilots didn’t want to immediately return to Mexico City, but instead, wanted to work through some checklists, as is standard. The Delta pilots declared an emergency, and requested vectors to avoid terrain.
Just give the below air traffic control audio a listen, because it’s quite something, and it’s otherwise hard to do justice.
The plane ended up landing back in Mexico City safely, 53 minutes after it first departed.
What went wrong with this interaction?
When you first listen to the above air traffic control audio, you might place the blame squarely on the air traffic controller. Like, what part of all of this is he not understanding? The plane has an emergency with a pressurization issue, and the pilots need some time to work through checklists.
It’s puzzling how he’s not understanding the needs of the pilots in this situation, and he’s making things more complicated for them, rather than easier. The most common comment on the video is people wondering how this guy has a job.
But then there are some comments on the video like this one, which at least raise some good points:
For anyone blaming ATC, the pilots are the ones at fault in this scenario. Getting angry that the controller doesn’t give them what they need when they don’t tell exactly what they want is just stupid. “Requesting vectors”… FOR WHAT? If you say just that you can’t blame the ATC for thinking you are requesting vectors to land! Especially when you asked vectors back to the airfield! If this pilot would have known how to do proper radio communications I’m sure there would have been no issue. “Mayday Mayday Mayday, Delta 576, rapid depressurization, descending 10,000 feet. Requesting vectors back to the airfield to join the hold. Standby for further information.” Easy, clear, and gives all the information the ATC needs in ONE communication. This pilot is the problem and everything that happened with the communication is 100% self inflicted!
Pilots should use proper terminology, and internationally, “declaring an emergency” isn’t approved language, but instead, the correct term is “mayday, mayday, mayday.” I know that 737 pilots do a lot of domestic flying, but they should follow international standards when flying abroad.
Similarly, the pilots say “we’re gonna need vectors back to the airfield,” but then when they’re given vectors back to the airfield, they explain that they don’t actually want to go to the airfield, but instead, just want to hold and avoid terrain.
Also, in fairness to air traffic control, keeping someone at or below 10,000 feet when there’s mountainous terrain and the airport is at 7,300 feet takes some work, so it’s understandably that he’s trying to get a sense of how long they need to hold, etc.
Anyway, I’m not saying the pilots are at fault here, but there are definitely more considerations at play than you might think of when you listen to this audio for the first time, where one would reasonably wonder what’s wrong with the controller.
Could the controller have been a bit more anticipatory? Probably. Could the pilots have communicated more clearly? Absolutely.
Bottom line
A Delta Boeing 737 dealt with a pressurization issue when departing Mexico City, causing the pilots to return to the airport. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this emergency was the air traffic control communication, where the Delta pilots got extremely frustrated with the controller. The communication here definitely left a lot to be desired, though I don’t think one party is exclusively to blame.
What do you make of this air traffic control audio?
Why the age of the plane? How does that contribute anything to these type of ATC stories?
La comunicación podría haber sido mejor tanto por parte del ATC como de los pilotos.
Wouldnt this be a Pan Pan call vs mayday as it is not immediately life threatening
Avoiding terrain is the pilot’s responsibility— not ATC that is what minimum sector or safe altitudes on approach plates are for
In a REAL Emergency you ask vectors to get re-established on final approach and get the aircraft on the ground ! Terrain around Mexico City airport is not the place to screw around !
"I know that 737 pilots do a lot of domestic flying, but they should follow international standards when flying abroad."
Just ponder that.
International standards are designed to be used globally, not "globally except America".
The language is not the English of Peoria, nor of Sydney, Delhi, or Liverpool - it is Aviation English.
Americans participated in setting those standards.
So use them. Not just abroad. Everywhere.
In defense of the pilots, remember your ANCs. Aviate. Navigate. Communicate. Communication is last for a reason, so you aren't wasting time on more important tasks. Keep the bird in the air, go in a direction you need to put it. Then chit chat with ATC about getting it on the ground.
Makes me think of the old clip of the British ship on the radio to the German coast guard and declaring “we are sinking. Repeat: We are sinking”.
German coast guard replies (in German accent) “what are you sinking about?”
English being my primary and only language, I still as a young girl spent quit a of time with very close friends who's first language was Spanish and English being their second language; and I had a difficult time understanding several parts of what the controller was trying to say let alone he stumbled over a couple of his sentences along with the partial inaudible parts of what he was saying. Yes I agree the...
English being my primary and only language, I still as a young girl spent quit a of time with very close friends who's first language was Spanish and English being their second language; and I had a difficult time understanding several parts of what the controller was trying to say let alone he stumbled over a couple of his sentences along with the partial inaudible parts of what he was saying. Yes I agree the first thing the pilot should have said was he has an emergency or mayday and what his problem was rather than towards the end of his communication. But it sounded like the pilot was over distracted by the problem at hand and was more focused on the plane and going thru their procedures. He probably should have had his Copilot make the call in. Isn't that normally what they do anyhow that way the Pilot can focus at his extremely complex and high skill required Job? Idk maybe I'm confused at all the episodes of that Mayday Aviation show on TV I've watched.
"Declaring emergency" absolutely is a valid term within standard phraseology and is commonly used in Europe for example. I do agree that the US pilots often struggle following rules of radiocommunications and for whatever reason fail to use standard phraseology, including the pilots in question, but this particular term is perfectly okay to use.
Wrong! Declaring an emergency is only used in the US and is not standard ICAO terminology. It’s definitely not used in Europe
And it didn't take long for some moron to bring Trump into something that has nothing do with politics. Ben it's a shame that people bring their roaring TDS to a site you work hard to keep focused on aviation.
Seemingly maybe both pilot and controller were at fault.
Agreed. People need to keep their ridiculous personal feelings and emotions to their selves and stick to the topic at hand. Pathetic honestly if you ask me. Their just showing their asses when they do that.
Agreed. People need to keep their ridiculous personal feelings and emotions to their selves and stick to the topic at hand. Pathetic honestly if you ask me. Their just showing their asses when they do that. And to insult people by calling them retarded is very mature too. It's not retarded people's fault they've got a handicap and yet their still so well spirited individuals. Maybe he should have used the insult MEX instead. Sounds more appropriate to me.
It's called TDS for a reason.
He lives rent free in the mind of the snowflakes.
And your use of the term TDS brings your politics into the mix. Pot, meet kettle.
I think that the pilots are at fault for wanting to return to MEX in the first place. We're talking a facility that constantly runs over capacity and with all that traffic there's much more chance of something going wrong in an emergency there as opposed to NLU or TLC.
Note that they didn't even really explain why they didn't want NLU after it had been suggested to them. They come across as stereotypically...
I think that the pilots are at fault for wanting to return to MEX in the first place. We're talking a facility that constantly runs over capacity and with all that traffic there's much more chance of something going wrong in an emergency there as opposed to NLU or TLC.
Note that they didn't even really explain why they didn't want NLU after it had been suggested to them. They come across as stereotypically arrogant, ignorant Americans with little understanding of the area in which they're operating and no respect for the people trying to assist them.
To Americans, Mexico is either MEX or cartel controlled territory. Suggesting an American go anywhere other than MEX is tantamount to suggesting they go to hell.
The arrogance of Americans is insufferable and their stupidity is plainly apparent on any test of IQ or similar.
Your arrogance is actually what’s insufferable. Great job highlighting your ignorance with your comments here!
I am in TLC all the time with my job, often several times a month. It’s no place DL would EVER send a plane full of their customers, the exception being a dire emergency like a fire of course. The airport just isn’t suitable for a Mx diversion like this one. The best option for everyone involved here was to go back to MEX.
NLU can easily handle such a situation.
Toluca used to have service from a couple of US carriers and even had mainline Continental employees at one point and had a pretty decent maintenance contractor. There are/used to be some fairly okay hotels nearby, but that may have changed.
TLC is an airport that operates multiple flights per day, it would definitely be able to handle such an incident. Whether DL customers would be fond of that part of Estado de México is neither here nor there.
I’ve personally lost my patience with Mexican customer service staff of Sony. They gave me a hard time.
Many Mexicans are very friendly. Some are not.
Like Americans
Americans voted for Trump and are therefore fully retarded.
There you go again Arps …. harping on completely off topic just to see your own rhetoric repeated herein.
There you go again Arps …. harping on completely off topic just to see your own rhetoric repeated herein.
You’re obviously desperate for replies, your level of education and understanding of the world is obvious. At least Trump gives you an opportunity to get replies. Another win
Most are not actually.