Cockpit accident believed to be cause of nose dive on LATAM Boeing 787: WSJ
At least 50 people were injured after a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operated by LATAM Airlines made a sudden drop
50 injured on Boeing jet from Sydney to Auckland
Fox News’ Alex Hogan on injuries following a 'technical problem' on a LATAM Airlines flight.
A cockpit accident was the likely cause of a sudden drop that sent passengers on a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner bouncing 'off the roof' during a flight to New Zealand, according to The Wall Street Journal.
U.S. industry officials briefed on preliminary evidence from an investigation of the incident told the paper that a cockpit mishap may have pushed a pilot into the controls of the plane.
According to the report, a LATAM Airlines flight attendant hit a switch on the pilot's seat while serving a meal, activating a motorized feature that pushed the pilot into the controls and sent the plane into a nose dive, the officials said. The switch has a cover and is not supposed to be used when a pilot is in the seat.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | THE BOEING CO. | 167.22 | +0.41 | +0.25% |
| LTMAY | LATAM AIRLINES GROUP | 0.55 | -0.01 | -2.65% |
LATAM Airlines, which is based in Chile, has said the Boeing 787 suffered a "technical event during the flight which caused strong movement."
The LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that suddenly lost altitude mid-flight a day earlier, dropping violently and injuring dozens of terrified travellers, is seen on the tarmac of the Auckland International Airport in Auckland on March 12, (BRETT PHIBBS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
At least 50 people were injured Monday after a "strong shake" threw those without seatbelts from their seats and tossed around passengers on the Chilean plane traveling from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand. The plane landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled, but the more than 200 passengers aboard were shaken up by the nightmare flight.
Passengers described how the plane took a sudden, dramatic dip into a "nose dive," sending some who were not secured in their seats tumbling into the ceiling.
"If you were in your seat, you went straight up to the ceiling and bounced off the roof. I just happened to be one of the lucky ones who was strapped in for that incident," passenger Brian Jokat told ABC News in Australia on Tuesday.
BOEING PLANE FORCED TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING AT LAX AFTER POSSIBLE MECHANICAL ISSUE
A paramedic walks onboard as passengers look on, after an incident on a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787, in Auckland, New Zealand, March 11, 2024, in this picture obtained from social media. (Brian Adam Jokat/via REUTERS/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
Paramedics and more than 10 emergency vehicles were on scene when the plane landed in Auckland, according to The Associated Press. About 50 people were treated on the scene for minor injuries.
LATAM Airlines said 10 passengers and three cabin crew members were taken to a medical center for treatment after the flight. The majority were discharged shortly after. One passenger and one crew member required additional attention but did not have life-threatening injuries, according to the statement.
"LATAM is working in coordination with the respective authorities to support the investigations into the incident," the airline said in a statement Monday.
Passenger films cabin shock after flight takes nosedive
A passenger aboard a Boeing 787 operated by LATAM Airlines documented the aftermath of severe flight turbulence when the plane took a nosedive. (Credit: Max Dineley via Storyful)
"We are in contact with our customer, and Boeing stands ready to support investigation-related activities as requested," Boeing said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal.
New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) is conducting an investigation into the incident. Authorities seized the black boxes of the LATAM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on Tuesday to learn more about the flight's trajectory and communication between pilots around the time of the incident, Reuters reported.
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Two investigators from Chile's civil-aviation agency traveled to New Zealand on Wednesday to lead the investigation, along with an expert from New Zealand, a spokeswoman for the agency said Thursday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Boeing will reportedly issue a memo related to the seat switch believed to have caused the incident.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.