On Jan 7, 2011 I had a family emergency in California. I bought a ticket from Delta for a round trip ticket with rental car. I was leaving Pheonix, AZ on that morning and landing in Salt Lake. All was going smoothly till we started approaching Salt Lake. There was fog at Salt Lake and we started circling. The pilot came on over the intercom to report that we cant land in Salt Lake due to heavy fog and will be circling, this seemed odd. About the third time we circled around I see off in the distance what looked like a United or Southwest airline on the approach to Salt Lake. Shortly afterward the pilot came on again and stated that we are now diverting to Grand Junction, CO to get fuel and hopefully that by the time we get back, the fog has lifted. We land in Grand Junction and fuel trucks come out. It was not a couple minutes after that we were grounded. Plane is broke and that they are off loading us. The part is being flown in with a mechanic to fix the plane. Thankfully for the two little old ladies at the gate check in, stated that the part that is broken was what was preventing us from landing at Salt Lake. But it is a simple fix, we were told. The cat is out of the bag. The plane was suppose to be fixed by 1300 hrs and we could start reboarding. Well 1330 came then 1400 and so on. At around 1500 is when we were told that the plane is grounded and the part is not fixed. We are all scrambling (customers) to try and make our next connecting flight for meetings, gatherings, funerals (including myself) business etc. Some with childeren. As we are trying to find flights to get us out, Delta has froze our tickets (can not transfer to anyother flight nor airline) and we basically have no where to go. Keeping a person for doing so is a form of kidnapping or holding them against their will. They were going to put us up in a hotel and told us the plane will be worked on overnight and we could fly out on it in the morning. We start doing that. Then we are told no we arent. Instead they get a bus and tell us that we have to get on the bus that is going to be bussing us to Salt Lake. This is a 4-5 hour ride over very dangerous roads at night. I know because I have driving this road many times and its not pretty. The bus driver was great. She knew what she was doing. We get to Salt Lake airport and a Delta agent has all of us in a seperate line that we have to wait in. It is now 2130 and we have all been up to catch the flight out of Pheonix at 0710. I had an hour drive and had been up since 0400 to be ontime. All of us are fustrated, tired, hungary including childeren. What does Delta do at this point? Give us a voucher for a room at a hotel, and 2 meal vouchers. They at that point stated that is all we are getting and calling it good. Needless to say that I was flying to Sacramento and had another hour and a half drive. I made it my familys funeral service with no time to spare, at no help from Delta. So now lets really look at what is going on here with Delta. We flew on a MD-90 that was broken before we left the gound. From what we were all told by the little old ladies that worked the gate at Grand Junction, we could not land because that part that was broken is a part that makes us visible when we land in fog and that the rest of the aircraft would not be able to see us if we landed in Salt Lake in foggy conditions. So,,,,, Delta knew this plane was broken in Pheonix, AZ but flew us on it anyway. And if it was ok to fly, then WHY did the plane get grounded immediately after we landed in Grand Junction? Because it was a safety issue with the plane. So Delta has put all us passengers a unsafe plane, that they knew about, and lied to all of us, let alone telling us we cannot do certain things such as get another flight out. Holding me against my will. The people that worked with Delta (not the old ladies, they did not work for Delta and stated to a couple of us that they would never work for Delta and that this happens often). Really, you have got to be kiding me. Is this what Delta is about? For all the mental stress caused to me (let alone my family), incovience, lies, undo regaurd for the safety for its passengers I WANT SOMETHING DONE AND COMPENSATED. Delta, do you think that you can do this and just blow us off and get away with it? This is not going to rest easy. I was told enough information that all makes sense on how the whole trip went that Delta was in the wrong. Letters are going out to Delta, NTSB and FAA let alone all the post that I have posted on facebook etc. Thankyou for your time. I, want to keep all of YOU SAFE.