At least 50 people were injured when a Boeing 787 operated by LATAM Airlines (LTM.SN) experienced a sudden mid-air drop during a flight from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, on Monday. The South American carrier is currently investigating the cause of the incident, which occurred on flight LA800, carrying 263 passengers and nine cabin crew members.
According to LATAM Airlines, the aircraft encountered a "strong shake," resulting in 10 passengers and three cabin crew members being transported to Middlemore Hospital for medical evaluation. Despite the incident, the flight landed safely at Auckland Airport as scheduled on Monday afternoon.
Hato Hone St John, an emergency medical service that treated approximately 50 people at the airport, reported that one person was in serious condition, while the rest suffered mild-to-moderate injuries. A total of 14 Hato Hone St John units responded to the scene, including ambulances, operations managers, support vehicles, and a command unit.
Passenger Brian Jokat, who was not injured in the incident, described the experience to the BBC, saying, "The plane, unannounced, just dropped. I mean it dropped unlike anything I've ever experienced on any kind of minor turbulence, and people were thrown out of their seats, hit the top of the roof of the plane, throwing down the aisles."
Jokat also recounted that some of the roof panels were broken due to passengers being thrown upwards and that there was blood coming from several people's heads. He noted that passengers who were doctors on the plane provided bandages and neck braces for those who were severely injured.
The cause of the apparent sudden change in trajectory of flight LA800 is yet to be determined. Safety experts emphasize that most airplane accidents are caused by a combination of factors that require thorough investigation.
The eight-year-old Boeing (BA.N) 787-9 Dreamliner, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, was on its way to Santiago, Chile, via Auckland. LATAM Airlines has announced that a new flight to Chile will depart from Auckland on Tuesday, March 12, as flight LA1130.
In a similar incident in 2008, dozens of people were injured when an Airbus 330 operated by Qantas Airways experienced a sharp drop due to faulty readings from a flight data computer while heading for Perth, Australia.
Boeing has stated that it is working to gather more information and will provide any necessary support to the airline. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have not yet responded to requests for comment.
In a separate development, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into a 737 MAX mid-air cabin-panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Following the news, Boeing shares were down about 4% in U.S. morning trading.
As the investigation into the LATAM Airlines incident continues, passengers and the aviation industry await answers regarding the cause of the sudden mid-air drop and the steps that will be taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The safety and well-being of passengers and crew members remain the top priority for airlines and regulatory authorities worldwide.
