On Monday, at least 50 people were injured when a Chilean LATAM Airlines plane descended sharply from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled and was scheduled to continue to Santiago, Chile, Euronews reported.
“Without warning, the plane just crashed. I mean, the crash was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced with any minor turbulence, and people were thrown out of their seats, hit the top of the plane roof, were thrown into the aisle.” “Some of the roof panels were broken due to people being thrown up and breaking through the plastic roof panels in the walkways. And several people were bleeding from the head,” said passenger Brian Yokat.
LATAM Airlines said in a statement that there was a “technical event during the flight that caused the sharp decline.” In a subsequent statement, the airline said the aircraft “experienced severe shaking during flight, the cause of which is currently under investigation.”
The airline said it was cooperating with officials to support the investigation into the incident.
After the flight landed in Auckland, passengers were greeted by paramedics and more than 10 ambulances. Nearly 50 people received first aid at the scene, mostly for minor injuries, while 13 people were taken to hospital, an ambulance spokesman said. LATAM said most of the 13 people were discharged shortly after the incident, with only one passenger and one crew member requiring additional treatment, but not life-threatening.
Several passengers were hit with their heads on the ceiling. Many were reportedly not wearing seatbelts when flight LA800 suddenly went down.
“If you were in your seat, you just flew up to the ceiling and bounced off from there. I was just lucky that I was wearing a seatbelt during this incident,” said a passenger named Jokat.
He added that he suddenly woke up during the fall and saw a neighbor who was under the ceiling of the plane.
The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience and injuries that occurred as a result of this event. It has stated its focus on safety as a priority within its operating standards.